Research that shows just 1 per cent of international students dodge their visa requirements comes as a blow to Theresa May

Only 1 per cent of international students break the terms of their visa by refusing to leave after their course ends, a secret government study has found.

The research threatens to undermine Theresa May’s case for a crackdown on foreign student recruitment and calls into question past estimates that put the figure far higher. Official statistics have been used to suggest that tens of thousands of foreign students “vanish” each year after finishing their degrees, but the latest study would suggest that the true figure is 1,500.

The Home Office, which commissioned the analysis, disputed that it was conclusive and said that the work was “not completed”. It has refused to share the study with other Whitehall ministries and rebuffed requests from The Times to