The university sector, which is reliant on overseas students for a quarter of income, is key to economic activity in cities like Leicester and Hull
A crackdown on international students in Britain could hurt struggling cities where universities help power the local economy, the government has been warned.
Tens of thousands of overseas students are being contacted by the Home Office to tell them they will be removed from the UK if they overstay their visas and have no legal reason to stay.
However, the Centre for Cities thinktank said the changes could have a bigger negative impact for places outside London and the south-east of England that were more reliant on their universities for economic activity.
As almost 3 million students return to universities across the UK this month, it said that Labour would face tensions between its growth mission and the plan to curb net migration levels.
