The United Kingdom has issued a stern directive to international students, emphasizing that they must leave the country once their student visas expire or risk being forcibly removed. This warning is part of a newly launched Home Office campaign addressing what authorities describe as an “alarming” trend of foreign students overstaying their visas by turning to the asylum system.
In a move described as unprecedented, the government is directly contacting international students through text messages and emails. The messages are explicit: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
According to Home Office statistics, around 15 percent of asylum claims in 2024—nearly 16,000—were lodged by individuals who originally entered the country on student visas. Although officials have not specified how many were submitted after visas had expired, the government insists the numbers are significant enough to warrant action.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) that some students are exploiting the system: “We obviously will do our bit to support genuine refugees, but if nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course.”
The Home Office revealed that about 10,000 international students whose visas are nearing expiration have already received direct notifications. Another 130,000 students and dependents will be contacted over the coming months, coinciding with the autumn academic intake.
The government argues that international students lodging asylum claims are adding pressure on the already overstretched asylum accommodation network, which includes hotel facilities.
The messages being circulated warn students that meritless asylum claims will be “swiftly and robustly refused” and that those who fail the government’s destitution criteria will not receive support.
This move follows broader immigration reforms under the Labour government. In May, the Home Office announced tougher rules for universities, requiring stricter thresholds on visa refusal rates and course completion metrics for them to retain their license to sponsor international students.
In 2024, out of 108,000 asylum claims filed in the United Kingdom, about 40,000 were from individuals who had initially entered legally on student, work, or visitor visas. By comparison, 35,000 claims came from migrants arriving through small boat crossings. Notably, student visa holders represented the largest group of legal entrants applying for asylum, with figures nearly six times higher than in 2020.
Although the government reported a 10 percent decline since the peak, it maintains the need for further reductions. Cooper emphasized: “To fix the system, we must tackle every single bit of it.”
okay.ng reports that the Labour administration has also reduced the post-study stay period for graduates from two years to 18 months.
