A FORMER Tory universities minister branded leaked plans to kick foreign students out of Britain after graduation “mean-spirited” yesterday.

David Willetts said the proposals would do “real damage” and risked deterring foreign students from countries such as India or China coming to learn in Britain at a time when the country should be trying to increase its share of the lucrative global market for higher-level education.

A Home Office source told the Sunday Times that Theresa May was pushing for a policy forcing non-EU students to leave the country and apply for a new visa if they wanted to return to be included in the next Tory manifesto.