The United Kingdom has halted the issuance of sponsored study visas to nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following what authorities described as a sharp spike in asylum claims from individuals who initially entered the country through legal channels.
The decision, announced by the UK Home Office, introduces an “emergency brake” on visas for the four countries. In addition to ending sponsored study visas, skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals have also been suspended.
The new restrictions will be effected through an amendment to the Immigration Rules on March 5 and will take effect from March 26.
Officials said the move became necessary after a growing number of visa holders subsequently applied for asylum.
Government figures indicate that 133,760 people who arrived legally in the UK over the past five years later sought asylum. Since 2021, nearly 135,000 individuals entered on student or other visas before filing protection claims.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood disclosed that asylum claims from legal entrants now account for almost 40 per cent of total applications.
In 2025 alone, they represented 39 per cent of the 100,000 asylum claims recorded.
She noted that asylum applications by students from the four affected countries surged by more than 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Claims by students from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold within the period, while those from Cameroon and Sudan rose by over 330 per cent.
For Afghan nationals, asylum claims nearly matched the volume of study visas issued, reaching 95 per cent within the review period.
The Home Secretary further revealed that the number of Afghans on work visas who later applied for asylum has now exceeded the number of work visas granted.
Although the government said it reduced student asylum claims by 20 per cent in 2025, study visa holders still account for 13 per cent of all pending cases.
Mahmood said the financial burden of asylum support has climbed above £4bn annually, with nearly 16,000 nationals from the four countries currently supported at public expense.
Of that figure, more than 6,000 are being accommodated in hotels. She added that the government has cut the asylum support bill by £1bn since assuming office.
A spokesperson for the Home Office said the government was determined to curb what it described as visa abuse while maintaining protection for those genuinely fleeing conflict and persecution.
The visa clampdown comes amid wider asylum reforms introduced this week.
Under the revised policy, refugee status for adults and their dependent children will now be reviewed every 30 months, replacing the previous five-year protection period before eligibility for indefinite leave to remain.
Authorities said refugees whose home countries are considered safe would be expected to return, while unaccompanied minors will continue to receive five years’ leave pending a long-term policy review.
Those already granted protection will remain under the former framework.
The reforms, which the government said are partly inspired by Denmark’s stricter asylum regime, are aimed at reducing what officials describe as “pull factors” encouraging irregular migration, including small boat crossings.
The Home Secretary is expected to present fresh legislation and outline the broader migration strategy at the Institute for Public Policy Research.
She insisted that while Britain would continue to offer refuge to those escaping war and persecution, the visa system must not be exploited.
Migration remains a dominant political issue in the UK, with the Reform UK gaining momentum in opinion polls amid growing public debate over border control and asylum management.