UK Bans Study Visas for Four Countries Over Asylum Abuse Concerns

The UK government will stop issuing student visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, citing what it says is widespread misuse of the visa system.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the measure is intended to prevent people from entering the country legally as students and then applying for asylum.

The Home Office said the policy will take effect through changes to immigration rules beginning this month.

Key Measures

• Study visas will no longer be issued to applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan.
• Skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals will also be halted.
• The government says the move is necessary to protect the UK’s asylum system.

Mahmood said the decision was “unprecedented” but necessary to restore control over immigration.

Refugee status becomes temporary in asylum shake-up

Government Data

According to Home Office figures:

• Asylum claims from people who originally entered the UK legally have more than tripled between 2021 and 2025.
• Around 13% of asylum claims currently in the system come from individuals who first arrived on study visas.
• About 95% of Afghans who entered the UK on student visas since 2021 later applied for asylum.
• Asylum claims from students from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold.
• Claims from Cameroon and Sudan rose more than four times.

Who gets the most common UK visas?

People from India were the most common group to come to the UK on study visas, making up 23% of the total.

Together, people from China and India accounted for nearly half of all study visas. This has been the case for many years.

Officials also said a higher proportion of applicants from the four countries reported destitution as part of their asylum claims, with roughly 16,000 individuals from those nations currently receiving UK support.

Wider Immigration Policy

The decision comes amid broader efforts by the government to reduce migration and asylum pressures.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has faced political pressure from opposition parties over migration levels, including record Channel crossings. In 2025, 41,472 migrants crossed the Channel in small boats.

The government recently announced that refugee protection periods would be reduced to 30 months as part of wider asylum reforms.

Political Reaction

Some members of the governing party have expressed concern about immigration changes affecting migrants already living in the UK, warning the policies could worsen labour shortages, particularly in sectors such as social care.

The Home Office said the UK remains committed to helping refugees through resettlement programmes run with the United Nations, noting that Britain ranks among the top countries globally for refugees resettled through the UN system.