UK to suspend study visas for four countries

According to The BBC, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the move follows data showing that nationals from the four countries are among the most likely to claim asylum after initially entering the UK on study visas. The suspension will also apply to skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals.

According to official figures, the number of people who entered the UK legally — including on study visas — and later applied for asylum has more than tripled between 2021 and 2025. Individuals who arrived on student visas now account for 13% of all asylum claims currently in the system.

Mahmood said she was taking “an unprecedented decision to refuse visas to nationals who seek to abuse our generosity,” adding that she would restore “order and control” at the UK’s borders.

The Home Office said a higher-than-average proportion of asylum applicants from the four countries cited poverty as part of their claims. Around 16,000 people from those nations are currently being supported within the asylum system.

Since 2021, approximately 95% of Afghans who arrived on student visas have applied for asylum, according to government data. Applications from Myanmar nationals have increased sixteenfold, while claims from students from Cameroon and Sudan have risen more than fourfold.

Officials also cited a high number of Afghans seeking asylum after their skilled worker visas expired, describing the trend as an “unsustainable strain” on the asylum system.

Mahmood is expected to introduce new legislation on Thursday, 5 March, to amend Immigration Rules and formally implement the suspension.

The measures follow broader efforts by the government to tighten immigration controls amid pressure from political opponents, including the Conservative Party and Reform UK, to reduce migration.

Last week, the government announced that the period of refugee protection for certain arrivals would be reduced to 30 months as part of efforts to curb small boat crossings. In 2025, 41,472 migrants crossed the English Channel in small boats, roughly 5,000 more than the previous year.

The UK currently ranks sixth globally for the number of refugees resettled through referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, which the Home Office says demonstrates the country’s continued commitment to those in genuine need.

Mahmood is set to deliver a speech this week outlining what she calls a “progressive case” for immigration control.

Meanwhile, around 40 lawmakers from the Labour Party have raised concerns over proposed changes to permanent settlement rights for migrants already living in the UK. They warned that retrospective measures could worsen skills shortages, particularly in the healthcare sector.