Britain on Tuesday announced it is blocking study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, as well as halting work visas for Afghans, as an “emergency brake” to curb rising asylum claims from people entering through legal routes.
In recent months, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has taken several steps to curb immigration as its popularity declines over mounting anti-migrant sentiments. In a statement, the Interior Ministry said the decision to block study visas resulted from asylum applications by students from the four countries jumping more than fivefold between 2021 and 2025. It said claims by Afghans on work visas now outnumbered the number of visas issued.
“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” said interior minister Shabana Mahmood. “That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” she added.
The British government says asylum claims made after entering on legal visas accounted for 39% of the 100,000 people who applied last year. It said around 16,000 nationals from the four listed countries were currently being supported at public expense, including more than 6,000 in hotels. This, it said, is adding to pressure over the cost of asylum accommodation, around £4 billion a year.
The changes come into effect from March 26, with the government claiming it will create capped “safe and legal routes” once the asylum system stabilizes.