U.K. fumes at French offer to Indian students 

U.K. fumes at French offer to Indian students

Context

French President Emmanuel Macron’s overtures to India during his four-day visit have hit a raw nerve in Britain, particularly as he sought to reach out to Indian students, encouraging them to study in France.

Post-Brexit stand on issue unclear

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson took to Twitter to defend Britain’s record, pointing out that over 14,000 came to study in Britain in the first quarter of 2017 alone — a rise from the year before.

British concerns

His comments touch upon a couple of contested political issues in Britain — concerns around its stance on international students, and fears that European markets will seek to capitalise on Brexit-related uncertainty to lure businesses and others out of the U.K.

Recovery but numbers still low

• The issue of international students remains particularly sensitive in the U.K., with the total numbers of Indian students making a modest recovery last year, but still below 2010 figures
• Meanwhile, the numbers of Indian students in other European countries such as Germany have risen sharply.