Universities will go bust if foreign students barred, government adviser warns

‘If you close down the international route, I’m not sure how the university continues to survive’

Universities will go bankrupt if the government shuts out foreign students in a frantic bid to cut immigration, an adviser has warned – with poorer areas most at risk.

The chair of the Migration Advisory Committee raised the alarm after No 10 – under pressure from Tory MPs to act on rising numbers – said it is exploring excluding overseas students from “low-quality” degrees.

One suggestion is they would only be allowed a place at an “elite” university, which could mean only London, Cambridge and Oxford, Brian Bell said.