UK Halts Study Visas for Afghans, Cameroonians, Others to Curb Asylum

The British government announced on Tuesday a halt to study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, along with work visas for Afghans, in an effort to curb asylum claims made through legal migration routes.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the measure as an unprecedented step, the first time the UK has imposed such a targeted visa suspension on specific nationalities. The decision targets a sharp rise in asylum applications from students arriving on sponsored study visas, which the Home Office said increased by more than 470 percent between 2021 and September 2025. Officials noted that nearly 135,000 asylum seekers have entered the UK via legal routes since 2021, with those on study visas accounting for 13 percent of current claims despite a 20 percent reduction in such applications over the course of 2025.

In a statement, Mahmood emphasized the government's commitment to genuine refugees while addressing perceived abuses of the system. "Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused," she said. "That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those...