The UK government has activated what it describes as an emergency brake on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, following a sharp rise in asylum claims from people who first entered the country legally.
Under the new measure, sponsored study visas for citizens of the four countries will be brought to an end. Skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals are also being suspended. The changes will be introduced through an amendment to the Immigration Rules on March 5 and will take effect from March 26.
Officials say the decision comes after a steady increase in asylum applications from individuals who arrived on student or other legal visas before later seeking protection. In the past five years, 133,760 people have claimed asylum after entering the UK through approved routes. Since 2021 alone, nearly 135,000 people arrived on study or similar visas and subsequently applied for asylum.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood acknowledged that claims from those who entered legally now account for a significant share of overall applications. In 2025, they represented 39 percent of the 100,000 asylum seekers recorded that year. Applications from students of the four affected countries have risen sharply since 2021. Claims from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold, while those from Cameroon and Sudan climbed by more than 330 percent. For Afghan nationals, the proportion of asylum claims compared to study visas issued reached 95 percent between 2021 and the year ending September 2025. The number of Afghans on work visas seeking asylum has also surpassed the number of such visas granted.
Although the government says it managed to cut student-related asylum claims by 20 percent in 2025, people who arrived on study visas still make up 13 percent of the cases currently being processed.
The financial strain has been another key factor behind the move. Many of those who applied for asylum after entering legally are now receiving state support. Mahmood noted that a higher-than-average number from the four countries have declared themselves destitute. Asylum support is estimated to cost more than £4 billion each year. Close to 16,000 nationals from the affected countries are currently supported with public funds, including over 6,000 housed in hotels. The government says it has reduced the overall asylum support bill by £1 billion since taking office.
A spokesperson said the government is tightening the system to prevent visa abuse while preserving the country’s longstanding commitment to those genuinely fleeing danger.
The visa restrictions come alongside broader asylum reforms that took effect this week. 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. Individuals from countries later considered safe may be expected to return home. Unaccompanied children will continue to receive five years’ leave while a longer-term policy is developed, and those already in the system will be assessed under the previous rules.
Protection periods will be reduced to 30 months from March 2, a step the government says is aimed at reducing incentives for irregular migration, including dangerous small boat crossings.
The Home Secretary is expected to present fresh legislation and outline the reforms in a speech at the IPPR think tank. She has maintained that while Britain will continue to offer refuge to people escaping war and persecution, the visa system must not be exploited. According to her, the latest action is intended to restore order and strengthen border control.
The tougher stance follows increased diplomatic pressure on countries to cooperate on returns. Last November, the Home Secretary warned that visas for Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo could be suspended if those governments failed to accept the return of their nationals found to be in the UK illegally. Agreements were later reached, and return flights began.
At the same time, ministers have pledged to expand limited safe and legal routes once stability is restored to the asylum system. Since 2021, more than 37,000 Afghans have been resettled through two dedicated schemes, and 190,000 humanitarian visas were granted in 2025. Between 2010 and 2025, the UK ranked sixth globally for refugees resettled through the UNHCR referral system.
Migration continues to dominate political debate across the country, with public opinion sharply divided and parties campaigning heavily on border control and asylum policy ahead of future elections.
