UK puts emergency brake on study visas for four countries’ nationals | Immigration and asylum
The government imposed an emergency brake on visas for citizens of four countries for the first time after Shabana Mahmood accused them of exploiting Britain’s generosity to seek asylum.
In addition to work visas for Afghans, work visas for citizens of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan have also been suspended.
A growing number of people from these countries are using legal immigration routes as a backdoor to seek asylum in the UK, the home secretary has claimed.
Mahmood said on Tuesday: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused.
“That’s why I’m making an unprecedented denial of visas to citizens who want to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control at our borders.”
According to Home Office figures, 39% of the 100,000 people seeking asylum in 2025 did so after arriving in the UK through legal immigration, such as a work visa.
Asylum applications from students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan represent the most significant part of the increase between 2021 and September 2025, the Home Office said.
The visa ban will officially come into effect on Thursday with changes to immigration rules.
Mahmood had previously threatened in November that all visas to Angola, Namibia and DR Congo would similarly be suspended unless their governments agreed to take people back from the UK.
This led to cooperation agreements with all three countries and the repatriation of individuals on deportation flights.
In his speech on Thursday, Mahmood is expected to lay out measures to strengthen the UK asylum system by announcing that from this week every refugee will be told their status is temporary and will only last 30 months.
Claimants whose countries have been deemed safe by the UK government are expected to return from now on.
The announcement comes despite calls from some Labor MPs, colleagues and affiliated unions for Keir Starmer’s government to move towards progressive policies after the party came third in last week’s by-elections in Gorton and Denton.
