04 Mar 2026 - 08:13
The Kabul Tribune (KT) - The UK government has announced it will stop issuing study visas to people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan starting this month, according to the BBC.
UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the decision was taken in response to what UK officials described as widespread visa abuse. Authorities in the United Kingdom will also stop issuing skilled work visas to Afghan nationals.
Official figures released by UK authorities show that nationals from the four countries were the most likely to apply for asylum after arriving in the country on study visas. The UK Home Office said asylum claims from people who originally entered the country legally — including students — have more than tripled between 2021 and 2025. Around 13% of total asylum claims in the United Kingdom now come from individuals who first arrived on study visas.
According to data from UK officials, approximately 95% of Afghans who came to the country on study visas since 2021 later applied for asylum. Applications from students from Myanmar increased sixteen-fold, while claims from Cameroon and Sudan rose by more than 330%.
Mahmood said a higher-than-average proportion of applicants from the four countries cited destitution as part of their asylum claims. Around 16,000 people from those nations are currently being supported in the United Kingdom.
She described the move as an “unprecedented decision” to refuse visas to nationals “seeking to exploit our generosity,” adding that the measures are intended to “restore order and control” to the country’s borders.
UK authorities said the changes are necessary to protect the country’s asylum system, which they argue is facing unsustainable pressure. The measures follow a broader tightening of immigration policy, including a recent decision to reduce the length of refugee protection to 30 months.
The changes are expected to be introduced through an amendment to the Immigration Rules on Thursday, 5 March.
