UK suspends study visas for four countries over rising asylum claims

The UK government has halted new study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following a sharp increase in asylum claims from people who entered the country through legal routes.

The decision, announced by the UK Home Office, introduces what officials described as an “emergency brake” on sponsored study visas for the four countries. Skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals will also be suspended.

The changes will be laid before Parliament on 5 March through an amendment to the Immigration Rules and will take effect on 26 March.

According to the Home Office, 133,760 people have claimed asylum in the past five years after arriving in the UK on valid visas. Since 2021, almost 135,000 individuals entered on student or other visas before later seeking asylum.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said asylum claims from those who arrived legally now account for 39 per cent of all applications. In 2025, around 100,000 people applied for asylum in total.

Applications from students of the four affected countries rose by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Claims from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold during that period, while those from Cameroon and Sudan rose by more than 330 per cent.

Between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, asylum claims from Afghan nationals were equivalent to 95 per cent of the study visas issued to them. The number of Afghans on work visas applying for asylum now exceeds the number of new work visas granted.

Although officials say student-related asylum claims fell by 20 per cent in 2025, those who arrived on study visas still represent 13 per cent of all claims currently under consideration.

The government linked the policy shift to growing financial pressures. Asylum support costs more than £4 billion annually, according to the Home Secretary. Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries are currently receiving state support, including more than 6,000 housed in hotels. Mahmood said the government had reduced the overall asylum support bill by £1 billion since taking office.

A Home Office spokesperson said the measures were aimed at preventing abuse of the visa system while preserving protection for people facing genuine persecution.

The visa suspension comes alongside broader changes to asylum policy introduced this week. Under the revised framework, refugee status for adults and their dependent children will be reviewed every 30 months. Previously, refugees were granted five years’ leave before becoming eligible to apply for indefinite leave to remain.

Refugees from countries considered safe will be expected to return. Unaccompanied minors will continue to receive five years’ leave while the government develops a long-term policy. The reduced 30-month protection period applies to new cases from 2 March, while those already in the UK will remain under the previous rules.

The reforms are modelled in part on Denmark’s system, regarded as among the strictest in Europe.

The announcement follows increased diplomatic engagement with countries linked to irregular migration. In November, the Home Secretary warned that visas for Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could be suspended unless those governments agreed to accept the return of their nationals without legal status in the UK. Return flights have since begun.

The government says it will expand capped safe and legal pathways once pressure on the asylum system eases. Since 2021, more than 37,000 Afghans have been resettled through dedicated schemes, and 190,000 humanitarian visas were issued in 2025 alone.

Between 2010 and 2025, the UK ranked sixth globally for the number of refugees resettled under referrals from the UN refugee agency. Migration remains a central political issue, with the Reform UK gaining support in recent opinion polls.