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Guests not suspects
• READERS may be aware that from this month the government begins issuing what it calls, with an obvious nasty spin, “ID cards for foreigners”.
You may not be aware what this means for Islington. First affected will be students and those marrying Britons. The plan is that gradually residents from outside Europe will be fingerprinted and have to account for their movements. (Later, so would we all.)
This is unlikely to put off refugees and the poor unskilled with nothing to lose. But successful foreigners such as Arsenal’s Emmanuel Adebayor and the overseas students at City University and London Metropolitan University have a lot of choice where they study or exercise their talents. Some will decide Britain has become too unfriendly.
When the US introduced more hostile visa conditions three to four years ago, the numbers applying to study there fell by 15 per cent and Bill Gates complained that Microsoft could no longer hire some of the best software engineers.
If this scheme is continued it will lead to less fee income and lower international status for City University and London Metropolitan University. British students will have to pay higher tuition fees to make up, and will have less money to spend with local businesses.
Fewer of the world’s star performers in every field will choose to make their homes here than do now. We value the contribution that these gifted people make to our institutions and our society. We think our country should treat them as guests, not criminal suspects.
“ID cards for foreigners” is not just a small-minded slogan – Islington will suffer culturally and economically.
Dr Lona Zubaidi
Registrar, American University in London
Bridget Fox
Prospective Lib Dem parliamentary candidate, Islington South and Finsbury
Amanda Sackur
University and Colleges Union Chair, co-ordinating committee
Mark Campbell
UCU co-ordinating Committee
London Metropolitan University
Caroline Day
Highbury co-ordinator
Matilda Mitford
Camden Coordinator
NO2ID Highbury and Camden
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