The UK government has begun directly contacting tens of thousands of international students, warning them to leave the country when their visas expire or risk forced removal, the BBC reported Tuesday.
The Home Office said the campaign is intended to curb a rise in student visa holders attempting to remain in Britain by claiming asylum. For the first time, officials are sending text and email messages to students whose visas are nearing expiry, outlining the consequences of overstaying.
According to official figures, about 15 per cent of asylum applications in 2023—roughly 16,000 cases—were lodged by individuals who first entered the UK on student visas. While not all were submitted after visas lapsed, ministers said the trend was clear.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that some students were filing asylum claims despite no change in conditions in their home countries. “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,” she said.
The government argues that the increase in student-linked asylum claims is adding pressure to already strained accommodation and hotel services for refugees. About 10,000 students have already received direct warnings, with another 130,000 students and their families expected to be contacted in the coming months, coinciding with the autumn intake.
The warnings, as reported by the BBC, state: “If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused. Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, you will not receive support. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
The move forms part of a wider tightening of immigration policy under the Labour government. In May, the Home Office announced that universities would face tougher thresholds on visa refusal and course completion rates to maintain sponsorship rights for international students.
Although public debate has largely focused on irregular Channel crossings, ministers note that more asylum claims last year came from people who had arrived legally—around 40,000—than from small boat arrivals, which totaled 35,000. Student visa holders represented the largest share among legal entrants, nearly six times higher than in 2020, though numbers fell by 10 per cent last year.
The government has also shortened the post-study visa period for overseas graduates, reducing the stay from two years to 18 months.
