Post by Focus on Feb 13, 2013 20:11:46 GMT
David Cameron has today sent out a message to young Indians that they should not be deterred from applying to study in the UK by the Coalition's drive to get immigration numbers under control.
The Prime Minister will visit India next week with a delegation of British business leaders, as part of his drive to double the UK's trade with the emerging economic giant by 2015, Downing Street announced today.
In interviews with the Asian media in Britain ahead of his trip, Mr Cameron said he wants the relationship between the UK and India to be 'one of the great partnerships of the 21st century'.
Admitting that the Government 'haven't perhaps communicated this properly' to would-be students, he stressed there was 'no limit' on the numbers of Indians studying at British universities or staying on in graduate-level jobs.
David Cameron, pictured today at Prime Minister's Questions, has given interviews to Asian media ahead of leading a business trip to India next week
Asked whether the Coalition's immigration policies were a 'hindrance' to a closer partnership, Mr Cameron said: 'The fact is today, as we stand - and this is going to be the case going forward - there is no limit on the number of students who can come from India to study at British universities, no limit at all.
'All you need is a basic English qualification and a place at a British university.
'And what's more, after you've left a British university, if you can get a graduate-level job there is no limit to the amount of people who can stay and work, or the time that they can stay at work.
'Now we need to take that message out to talented young people in India and say if you want to make that choice, Britain will be incredibly welcoming.
'Of course we have to control immigration in all its forms - as any country would - but actually Britain's got an amazing offer to make to students.
'We have 40,000 Indian students in Britain, I'm really proud of that, but the offer we've got - no limit on the numbers, no limit on how you can work in graduate jobs afterwards - I think is a great offer to make.'
Mr Cameron's visit, which will take in capital New Delhi and commercial centre Mumbai, is his second trip to India as Prime Minister and reflects his policy of building Britain's trade links with the emerging economic powers of the 21st century, including the BRICs (Brazil, Russia, India and China).
He said he was 'really, really enthusiastic' about the prospects for increased trade, and wants to see 'a really special relationship, a special partnership' between Britain and India.
Mr Cameron said there is no limit to the number of people who can stay and work after attending a British university if they get a graduate-level job
'We both want to see jobs, we want to see growth, we want to see investment,' Mr Cameron told Sunrise TV and radio.
'I think it's a very special partnership between Britain and India. We've got these ties of history, language, culture, but really I see it as a very strong relationship about the future - huge investment from India into Britain, huge investment from Britain into India, lots of our businesses partnering, lots of trade and lots of jobs, that's what I see.'
Mr Cameron told Zee TV: 'My message is that I think Britain and India can be one of the great partnerships of the 21st century.
'I think it can be a special relationship; there's the history, there are the family ties, there's the culture, there's the language, there's the love of things like cricket.
'But there's an amazing future if we team up our universities, our businesses. There's actually, I don't think, any limit on this relationship... I think Britain should show enormous respect for what India's going to be able to do in the world, and we want to be one of your partners as you grow and succeed.'
Mr Cameron acknowledged that the Conservative Party has 'still got work to do' to attract voters of Indian heritage in the UK.
He insisted that his party's values of 'belief in family, belief in entrepreneurship, belief in the importance of neighbourhood and community' were similar to those of many members of the Indian community in Britain, but admitted that 'in the past we weren't open enough'.
Mr Cameron said he was 'proud' that there were now Sikh and Hindu Tories in Parliament and wanted to do more to recognise the contribution of the Indian community to society.
The Prime Minister steered carefully clear of appearing to interfere in the vexed issue of rival Indian and Muslimstani claims to the territory of Kashmir.
Britain wants to 'encourage dialogue between India and Muslimstan' but 'it is for India and Muslimstan to take forward, rather than for Britain to try and insert ourselves into a process', he said.
The PM emphasised his own love of India, telling Zee TV how he had spent 'fantastic holidays' in Kerala and treasured a signed cricket bat given to him by Sachin Tendulkar.
He also revealed that he prefers his curries 'pretty hot, actually, sort of medium-hot' -- Ffs ... how many faces has this cretin got for heavens sake and is it just me but I'm inclined to wonder if the PM is suffering from the early stages of dementia -- I mean he can't seem to be able to recall what he has already stated earlier in the day!! ( he announced that the government were determined to crack down on immigration?? ) - Fx 
