About 50 students walked out of classes at City and Islington College in solidarity with international students, migrants and the refugee crisis on Tuesday morning.

Gathered outside the college in Camden Road, students protested against government policy which forbids international students in further education institutions from working during their studies and government cuts to the funding of English for Speakers of Another Language courses (ESOL).

Students also spoke out against the scrapping of the post-study work visa, which allows students to stay in the UK and work for up to two years after graduation.

They were joined by Green Party councillor Caroline Russell and Labour councillors Rakhia Ismail and Michelline Safi Ngongo, who is a former refugee and alumni of the college.

Cllr Russell said: “I went because I recognise the huge contribution that students make in our borough. I’m also really concerned about the attitude of the government towards migrants and the way that they are pressing people to speak good English and to integrate into the community and at the same time cutting ESOL courses.”