By Deborah Nnamdi
Tens of thousands of international students in the UK are being directly contacted by the government with a clear warning: leave the country once your visa expires or risk forced removal, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
The Home Office has launched a new campaign in response to what it calls an “alarming” rise in student visa holders attempting to remain in the UK by claiming asylum.
For the first time, students are receiving proactive messages via text and email, outlining the consequences of overstaying. The move reflects growing concern in Whitehall about misuse of the asylum system by international students seeking to stay after completing their studies.
“If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” the message states, according to the BBC.
Home Office data shows that around 15% of asylum applications last year—roughly 16,000—were made by individuals who initially entered the UK on student visas. While the data doesn’t specify how many applied after their visas expired, officials say the trend is significant enough to require urgent action.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that some students are claiming asylum “even when nothing has changed in their home country.”
“We will support genuine refugees,” she said, “but people should not be using the asylum system as a way to stay in the UK after completing a course.”
Cooper also noted that the added pressure student asylum claims place on the UK’s already strained asylum housing and hotel services.
Tens of Thousands Already Contacted
So far, around 10,000 students with expiring visas have received direct warnings. Another 130,000 students and their family members are expected to be contacted in the coming months, coinciding with the autumn academic intake.
“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.”
Part of Broader Immigration Crackdown
This campaign is part of a wider effort by the Labour government to tighten immigration controls. In May, the Home Office introduced new rules requiring universities to meet stricter standards on visa refusal and course completion rates to retain their ability to sponsor international students.
While much public focus has been on illegal Channel crossings, ministers are increasingly turning their attention to legal entrants—such as students—who later attempt to remain through asylum claims.
Of the 108,000 asylum applications submitted in the UK last year, around 40,000 were from individuals who entered legally on work, study, or visitor visas. In contrast, about 35,000 were from small boat arrivals.
Student visa holders made up the largest group of legal entrants claiming asylum. Their numbers have surged nearly sixfold since 2020, though there has been a 10% decline more recently. Still, the Home Office is seeking further reductions.
Cooper acknowledged that student-related claims make up just over 10% of total asylum applications, but stressed: “To fix the system, we must tackle every single part of it.”
The government has also reduced the post-study work period for overseas graduates, cutting it from two years to 18 months. Recent figures also show a drop in successful asylum claims from skilled worker visa holders.
