UNIVERSITY staff from other EU countries must be given guarantees that they can remain in the UK, an influential committee has said.

The House of Commons Education Committee today released a report on the future of higher education following the Brexit vote last June.

It comes after the committee heard evidence at Oxford University in January.

At the hearing Oxford Brookes vice-chancellor Professor Alistair Fit warned universities could face the ‘biggest disaster’ in many years if a hard Brexit was pursued.

The committee has now recommended that the Government should unilaterally guarantee the rights of staff to stay in in the UK after Brexit before the end of the year.

It also said overseas students should be removed from the net migration target, making it clear Britain wants talent from the EU and the rest of the world to come here.

Committee chairman Neil Carmichael said: “It’s welcome that EU students have been given some guarantees on their funding and loan access but the Government must act urgently to address the uncertainty over EU staff and avert the risk of a damaging ‘brain drain’ of talent from our shores.

“As we leave the European Union we now have the opportunity to reform our immigration system to ensure we reap the full rewards of the ability of our universities to attract the brightest and best students and staff from across the world.”