‘Migration mercantilism’ is an ill-advised policy
“Why would the Home Office want to include visiting students in its statistics? Most likely, the reason is because this is a category they can control easily”
Maurits van Rooijen, economic historian and chief academic executive at Global University Systems, draws parallels with historical mercantilism in overseas trade and the current political maneuvering in the UK that means international students face ever-tighter restrictions on studying in the UK.
History shows us that there is always a real risk that socio-economic common sense can get pushed aside.
For instance, from the 16th to the 18th century, many economies in Western Europe suffered due to mercantilism: the mistaken belief that governmental regulation of a nation’s economy, especially reducing imports, would strengthen the state at the expense of rival national powers.
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