International students carry British values home – that matters now more than ever, writes Sadiq Khan

I’m proud that London offers world-leading higher education. Every September, the best and brightest students from across the globe make their way to our city. With a passport, plug adaptor, and raincoat in tow, each of them arrives with hope for a better future beginning in London. New analysis released by City Hall today shows that they bring a multi-billion-pound boost to our economy as well.

The statistics are startling. This year alone, international students in higher education are expected to contribute £12.5 billion to London’s economy. But it’s not just people in the capital who benefit; across the UK, that figure reaches £55 billion. Communities in every corner of the country are richer as a result.

When they graduate, they return to their countries with a love for the UK that endures and benefits us in the long term. Those who stay here go on to work in some of the most productive parts of our economy, from tech and finance to creative industries and life sciences.

Whether they are using AI to improve education or discovering life-saving drugs that could give us back years with our loved ones, the evidence is clear: international students make our city and our country a better place to be.

A new levy on income that English universities generate from international students could threaten this economic success story, putting off young people from coming to cities like London and piling yet another burden on our strained higher education sector.

Closing our country to global talent would be a pointless act of immense economic self-harm, slowing down growth and leaving working people in every part of the UK worse off. Instead, we must make the argument for openness, confident in the immense contribution that international students make to our prosperity.

That is what I’ll be doing when I meet students in Accra later today. Last year, the city welcomed the creation of Imperial Global Ghana, a hub of Imperial College London.  A landmark moment, it was the first time any UK university had set up a permanent base in Africa dedicated to science, technology and innovation. A year later, scientists from the UK and Ghana are already working together to fight disease and find new ways to farm food as our climate changes. What they discover will benefit us both.

At every stage of my trip to Africa so far, I’ve seen partnerships like this - innovative, optimistic people working across borders to build a better future for all. Whilst we can and must make the economic argument for keeping our country open to global talent, I don’t think it quite captures all that is at stake in this debate.

The students who come to London don’t just bring billions for our economy. They come with something that cannot be measured in currency alone: new ideas, different cultures and diverse perspectives. When they return, they bring a bit of Britain back with them, too. In an increasingly divided world, there is strength to be found in this kind of collaboration, not least with a continent home to the youngest and fastest-growing population on Earth.

Keeping our universities open to international students isn’t just good for our economy; it is a chance to lead the way on the world stage, as we work with our allies to solve the problems our people face. This is a unique opportunity. We must not be afraid to seize it.
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Sir Sadiq Khan is the Mayor of London.

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