LONDON, UK — The United Kingdom has announced it will stop issuing student visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, in a move aimed at curbing a surge in asylum claims lodged after entry through legal routes.
The UK Home Office said Tuesday it had activated an “emergency brake” on visas for the four countries for the first time, citing sharp increases in asylum applications from individuals who initially arrived on study visas.
It also confirmed the suspension of skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
Since 2021, nearly 135,000 people have entered Britain legally on visas before subsequently seeking asylum, according to the Home Office. While student asylum claims fell by 20 per cent in 2025, authorities say students still account for 13 per cent of asylum claims currently in the system.
The number of asylum applications from students originating from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan and Myanmar has risen by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025, the department said.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the move as unprecedented. “I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” she said.
Tightened asylum rules
The visa suspension comes a day after new asylum reforms took effect in the UK.
Under the revised framework, the Home Office will review refugee status for adults and accompanying children every 30 months. Refugees whose home countries are later deemed safe will be expected to return.
Previously, those granted refugee status received five years’ protection and could apply for indefinite leave to remain, placing them on a pathway to citizenship.
Unaccompanied minors will continue to receive five years’ leave to remain while authorities develop a longer-term policy for the group. Individuals already in the country will be assessed under the previous rules.
The policy shift draws from Denmark’s immigration model, considered one of Europe’s strictest. Since 2015, Denmark has reviewed refugee status every two years.
Migration has become a defining issue in British politics, with anti-immigration rhetoric gaining traction in opinion polls. The government says the latest measures are intended to protect the integrity of the asylum system while maintaining lawful migration routes.
