Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, wants to send more students to Britain after Brexit

India has backed out of an agreement on the return of illegal immigrants from Britain amid fears of mass deportations, according to a local report.

Narendra Modi, the prime minister, visited London for a summit of Commonwealth leaders last month, signing investment deals and holding talks with the Queen, Theresa May and cabinet ministers. One agreement tabled on the trip was left unsigned, however, as his government cited concerns about a British proposal to speed up the removal of Indian illegal immigrants.

Up to 100,000 people of Indian origin are thought to be living in Britain illegally, the highest number by nationality. The number removed either forcibly or voluntarily from the UK fell by 45 per cent from 7,724 in 2014 to 4,254 last year,