Britan's government slaloms between celebrating the international students who prop up its universities and trying to stop their supply. In March it ordered a panel of experts to review a policy that is crucial in attracting foreign bookworms: a visa scheme called the "graduate route", which permits most foreign students to live and work in Britain for two years after they finish their studies. The Conservative Party, eager to look tough on immigration, seemed to hope that its Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), an independent body, would recommend junking the programme. Instead the MAC's report, published on May 14th, gives it full-throated support.

英国政府摇摆不定：到底应不应该欢迎给大学起到支撑作用的国际学生来上学。三月份，政府命令一个专家小组审查一项对吸引外国“书虫”至关重要的政策：一项名为“毕业生路线”的签证计划， 该法案允许大多数外国学生完成学业后在英国生活和工作两年。保守党渴望在移民问题上采取强硬态度，似乎希望其独立机构移民咨询委员会（MAC）， 提建议以放弃该计划。相反，MAC于5月14日发布的报告对此给予了全力支持。



The "graduate route" was unveiled in 2019 as a way to keep Britain competitive with other places that vie for foreign students. America, Australia and Canada have long offered similar programmes. The promise of post-study visas sweetens the deal not only for students who aspire to settle abroad permanently but also for those who think a spot of foreign work experience will help them stand out when they go home. They are especially valued by students from poorer countries, who count on a few years' rich-world wages to help pay down the loans they must take out to cover rich-world tuition fees.

“毕业生路线”于2019年推出，旨在保持英国与其他争夺外国学生的地方竞争力。美国、澳大利亚和加拿大长期以来一直提供类似的计划。留学后签证的承诺不仅为那些渴望永久定居国外的学生带来了好处，也为那些认为外国工作经验将帮助他们在回家后脱颖而出的人带来了好处。该政策特别受到来自贫穷国家的学生的重视， 他们依靠发达国家几年的工资来帮助偿还他们支付学费所欠下的贷款。

Britain's universities say the graduate route is one of the main reasons foreign-student numbers have shot upwards. Home Office data suggest that the number of international students admitted to universities in 2023 was 70% higher than in 2019, owing to growth in applicants from India, Nigeria and Pakistan. Most of these new students are taking one-year masters' courses in subjects such as business and management.

英国大学表示，“毕业生路线”签证计划，是外国学生人数激增的主要原因之一。内政部数据显示，2023年大学录取的国际学生人数比2019年高出70%， 特别是来自印度、尼日利亚和巴基斯坦的申请人数量增加。这些新生中的大多数正在攻读商业和管理等学科为期一年的硕士课程。