Half of international students do not feel welcome in the UK, a poll has found.

A new survey by the National Union of Students (NUS) suggests that current government policies are affecting foreign students' perceptions of the UK, and that many are still being put off studying here.

It found that just over half of the more than 3,000 students surveyed (50.7%) said that they feel the UK government is not welcoming towards them.

The numbers were higher for some countries than others, with around two thirds of the students from Japan (64.5%), Nigeria (62.8%) and India (62%) saying that they felt this way.

In general, postgraduate students from overseas felt less welcome than undergraduates, the survey suggests.

It also found that nearly a fifth (19%) of international students would not recommend the UK to a friend or relative as a place to study.

This was significantly higher among students from Pakistan (38.5%), Nigeria (36.8%) and India (34.5%).

Daniel Stevens, NUS international students' officer, said: "These figures confirm what we have been saying all along. Many international students feel unwelcome in the UK as a result of the government's hostile and overzealous policies.

"The immigration bill's proposals are set to create new barriers to international students at the same time that our global competitors are welcoming them with open arms.

"International students have made their view clear- they would not recommend the UK as a place to study if these proposals were introduced."

Official figures published last month showed that the number of overseas students at UK universities dropped by 1% between 2011/12 and 2012/13.

There was a large drop in the number of Indian students coming to the UK to study, with figures down 25%, the data showed.

University leaders have said that the decline in students is of concern, and that the UK is competing with other countries to attract international students.

The Government has published an international education strategy and ministers have been urging overseas students to come to the UK.

:: The poll questioned 3,135 international students in January. Of these 765 were from within the EU and 2,370 were from outside the EU.