The United Kingdom has imposed an emergency suspension on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following a sharp increase in asylum applications from individuals who initially entered the country through legal channels.
The move, announced by the UK Home Office, will terminate sponsored student visas for the four countries and place a temporary hold on skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.
The changes are to be effected through an amendment to the Immigration Rules on March 5 and will take effect from March 26.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Home Office said the unprecedented measure was triggered by a surge in asylum claims from persons who arrived legally on study and work visas before subsequently seeking refuge.
Official figures indicate that 133,760 people have applied for asylum after entering the UK lawfully over the past five years.
Since 2021, nearly 135,000 individuals who came in on student or other visas have lodged asylum claims.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood disclosed that asylum claims through legal entry routes now account for close to 40 per cent of total applications.
In 2025 alone, such cases made up 39 per cent of the 100,000 asylum claims recorded.
Data released by the authorities showed that asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan rose by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025.
Claims by Myanmar nationals increased sixteen-fold within the period, while applications from Cameroon and Sudan surged by over 330 per cent.
Between 2021 and the year ending September 2025, Afghan asylum claims amounted to 95 per cent of study visas issued to nationals of that country. Officials also disclosed that the number of Afghans on work visas applying for asylum now exceeds the volume of visas granted.
Although the government said it succeeded in reducing student-related asylum claims by 20 per cent in 2025, arrivals on study visas still account for 13 per cent of pending claims.
Many of those seeking asylum after entering legally are currently housed at public expense.
The Home Secretary noted that a significant proportion of nationals from the four affected countries had declared destitution.
She stated that asylum support costs the government over £4bn annually, adding that nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries are receiving state support, including more than 6,000 accommodated in hotels.
According to her, the administration has reduced the asylum support bill by £1bn since assuming office.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said the government was determined to curb visa abuse in order to preserve its long-standing tradition of offering protection to those genuinely fleeing persecution.
The visa restrictions coincide with broader asylum reforms that came into force this week.
Under the revised framework, refugee status for adults and their dependent children will now be reviewed every 30 months, replacing the previous five-year grant before eligibility for indefinite leave to remain.
Refugees whose home countries are deemed safe will be expected to return, while unaccompanied minors will continue to receive five years’ leave pending a long-term policy decision. Those already in the UK will remain subject to the former system.
Protection periods for newly recognised refugees have been reduced to 30 months from March 2, a move officials say is aimed at discouraging irregular migration, including small boat crossings.
The reforms are said to be modelled on Denmark’s stringent asylum regime.
The Home Secretary is expected to introduce fresh legislation and deliver a speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research outlining how the measures align with British values.
She maintained that while Britain would continue to offer refuge to victims of war and persecution, the visa system must not be exploited, pledging to restore order to the country’s borders.
The measures follow a tougher diplomatic posture adopted by the Prime Minister to ensure compliance with migration agreements. In November, the government warned that visas for Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could be suspended unless those countries cooperated on the return of illegal migrants. Officials later confirmed that return arrangements had commenced.
Since 2021, the UK has resettled over 37,000 Afghans under two dedicated schemes and granted about 190,000 humanitarian visas in 2025. Between 2010 and 2025, the country ranked sixth globally in the number of refugees resettled through referrals by the UNHCR.
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Migration remains a dominant political issue, with the anti-immigration Reform UK gaining momentum in opinion polls.
