Today the hashtag #defendstudentvisas trended in the UK on Twitter as NUS International Students Campaign coordinated a mass tweet-off to highlight the damage UKBA proposals to limit student visas would create.

Write to your MP to ask them to lobby to defend student visas

Tweeters pointed out that international students contribute £8.5 billion annually to the UK economy, that ten percent of university funding depends on international student fees, that many courses would not be sustainable wihtout international students, and the vast cultural value that international students bring to UK education.

Tweets gained attention from the Times Higher Education (@timeshighered) and the Guardian Higher Education (@GdnHigherEd).

@SwanseaUnion tweeted: 'A multicultural society is a better society #defendstudentvisas'

@Sarah_SKB tweeted: 'International students enrich the UK not just financially (£8.5bn) but culturally'

@robstanning tweeted: 'love that #defendstudentvisas is trending. Students coming 2 UK 4 valid educational purposes should b protected - we live in a global economy'

Best tweet of the hour goes to @MadHarrisSmith who tweeted: 'In uni, my student hall warden was Somalian, my best friend: Luxembourgian, my crush: Canadian & my worst enemy: Swiss'

Contact us for more information about the NUS immigration campaign.