‘Scotland loses £250m over three years as top students locked out’

The organisation said that an extra 5,400 international students would have lived in Scotland if the visa system, which allowed graduates to work in Scotland for two years after study, had been continued.

Universities Scotland went on to say that “there would have been additional indirect economic benefits as a result of a larger number of highly skilled international graduates contributing to the Scottish labour market through increased productivity, increased tax contributions and disposable income once in employment.”

SNP MSP Jim Eadie said: “This is yet more evidence from our higher education sector that shows the UK Government’s wrong-headed approach to immigration is having a damaging impact on our economy and our society.

“It makes absolutely no sense at all to bring students here to give them world-class education only to then kick them out of the country to allow other economies to benefit. That is the ludicrous consequence of a Tory immigration policy pandering to UKIP’s anti-immigration rhetoric.

“Every political party in Scotland, our colleges, our universities and businesses want to see a return of the post-study work visa.

“It’s time for the post-study work visa to be devolved to allow us to take a more progressive approach that would encourage the best and brightest from around the world to learn in Scotland and contribute to our economy and society.”