Ninety-seven per cent of international students leave the UK after finishing their studies, new border checks have reportedly found, suggesting levels of immigration in the UK are much lower than previously thought. It has been claimed that tens of thousands of international students remain in the country illegally after completing their studies but exit checks introduced last year found evidence to the contrary, the Telegraph reported.

Citing Whitehall sources, the newspaper said the overall net migration figure, which stands at 248,000 in the most recent estimate, could be tens of thousands lower after taking into account the new exit checks. The figures, published on Thursday, come as the Home Office unveils separate plans to ask migration experts to examine the impact of international students on the UK job market. The migration advisory committee (MAC) will be asked to examine the effect that both EU and non-EU students have on the labour market and economy while in the UK and will report back next September.

Announcing the report, Amber Rudd, the home secretary, said the government wanted to keep the door open to genuine students but would crack down on abuse of visas by poor-quality institutions.(theguardian)…[+]