The UK government has imposed an unprecedented “emergency brake” on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following a sharp rise in asylum claims from individuals who initially entered the country through legal routes.
The UK Home Office confirmed that sponsored study visas for all four countries will be halted, while skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals will also be suspended.
The changes will be introduced through an amendment to Immigration Rules on 5 March and will take effect from 26 March.
Officials said the move follows a significant surge in asylum applications from people who entered the UK legally on student and other visas before subsequently seeking protection.
Nearly 135,000 Asylum Claims from Legal Routes
According to government data, 133,760 people have claimed asylum after arriving legally in the UK over the past five years. Since 2021, nearly 135,000 individuals entered on student or other visas before lodging asylum claims.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said asylum claims from legal entry routes now account for nearly 40 per cent of all applications.
“In 2025, they represented 39 per cent of the 100,000 people who applied for asylum,” she said.
Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan rose by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Claims from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold during that period, while applications from Cameroon and Sudan surged by over 330 per cent.
Between 2021 and September 2025, the proportion of Afghan asylum claims relative to study visas issued reached 95 per cent. The number of Afghans on work visas claiming asylum is now exceeding the number of visas granted.
Although the government said it reduced student-related asylum claims by 20 per cent in 2025, those arriving on study visas still account for 13 per cent of active cases.
Financial Pressures and Accommodation Costs
Many asylum seekers who entered via legal routes are currently being housed at taxpayer expense.
Mahmood noted that an above-average proportion of nationals from the four affected countries have declared themselves destitute.
“Asylum support currently costs more than £4 billion annually,” she said.
Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries are receiving public support, including more than 6,000 accommodated in hotels. The government said it has reduced the asylum support bill by £1 billion since taking office.
A Home Office spokesperson said the government is “clamping down on visa abuse” to preserve its ability to assist those genuinely in need.
Broader Asylum Reforms Take Effect
The announcement coincides with wider asylum reforms that came into force this week.
Under the new framework, refugee status for adults and their accompanying children will be reviewed every 30 months. Previously, refugee status was granted for five years, after which individuals could apply for indefinite leave to remain.
Refugees whose home countries are deemed safe will be expected to return. Unaccompanied minors will continue to receive five years’ leave while longer-term policy arrangements are developed. Those already in the UK will be assessed under previous rules.
The government confirmed that, from 2 March, the standard protection period will be reduced to 30 months as part of efforts to curb so-called “pull factors” driving dangerous small boat crossings.
Officials indicated the reforms draw inspiration from Denmark’s strict asylum model, widely regarded as one of Europe’s toughest systems.
Legislative Push and Political Context
Mahmood is expected to introduce further legislation this week and deliver a speech at the Institute for Public Policy Research outlining how the reforms align with British values.
“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” she said.
“I will restore order and control to our borders.”
The measures follow a more assertive diplomatic approach by the Prime Minister to ensure compliance with migration rules. In November, the Home Secretary warned Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo that visas could be suspended unless they agreed to accept the return of irregular migrants. Cooperation was later secured and return flights commenced.
The government has pledged to expand capped safe and legal migration routes once stability is restored to the asylum system.
Since 2021, the UK has offered sanctuary to more than 37,000 Afghans through two resettlement schemes, while 190,000 humanitarian visas were granted in 2025 alone. Between 2010 and 2025, Britain resettled the sixth-largest number of refugees referred globally by the UNHCR.
Migration remains a central political issue in the UK, with the Reform UK gaining ground in recent opinion polls.