Britain has announced it will stop issuing student visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. Skilled work visas for Afghan nationals will also be suspended, according to a statement from the Home Office on Tuesday.
The government said the move aims to curb asylum claims made by people entering the country via legal visa routes. The Home Office described it as an “emergency brake” on visas, imposed for the first time on these four countries following a sharp rise in asylum applications from legal entrants.
Since 2021, nearly 135,000 people have entered the UK on valid visas before later applying for asylum. While student asylum claims fell by 20% in 2025, those arriving on study visas still account for 13% of all asylum applications. The number of applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan, and Myanmar increased more than 470% between 2021 and 2025.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government is making the “unprecedented decision to refuse visas to nationals seeking to exploit the UK’s generosity.”
The announcement follows the recent implementation of stricter asylum rules, which include reviewing refugee status every 30 months. Refugees from countries considered safe will be expected to return home. Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five-year leave while a long-term policy is determined. Existing asylum seekers will be assessed under previous rules.
The policy mirrors Denmark’s system, one of Europe’s strictest, where refugee status is reviewed every two years. Migration remains a hot political issue in the UK, with the hard-right Reform UK party gaining support through its anti-migration stance.
