UK warns international students not to overstay their visas and threatens deportation as the number of asylum claims rises
UK tells international students not to overstay their visas as the number of asylum claims from former students reaches a new high.
The UK government has started a new campaign to tell foreign students not to stay longer than allowed on their visas. The campaign stresses that people who stay longer than allowed will be deported.
Reports say that for the first time, the Home Office is getting in touch with students directly by text message and email. About 10,000 students whose visas are about to expire have already been sent notices. Tens of thousands more will likely be called in the coming months as the fall semester starts.
“If you have no legal right to stay in the UK, you must leave,” the message says. We will remove you if you don’t.”
It also says that asylum claims that are “not based on merit” will be “swiftly and robustly refused.”
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that some students were taking advantage of the asylum system by asking for refugee status even though nothing had changed in their home countries.
“Of course, we will do what we can to help real refugees.” Cooper said, “People shouldn’t be asking for asylum at the end of a course if nothing has changed in their country.”
Asylum claims from people who came in on student visas hit 16,000 in 2024, which is almost six times as many as in 2020. This means that students are the largest group of visa holders who are applying for asylum after their leave has ended.
Overall, 41,100 asylum requests in the year ending June 2025 came from people who came officially with visas, while 43,600 requests came from people who came across the Channel on small boats.
This year, the number of refugee requests from students has dropped by 10%, but ministers are still worried about the strain on asylum housing, especially since many people are staying in hotels.
The UK has also made it harder for graduates to get post-study visas. Now, graduates can only stay for 18 months instead of two years after finishing their studies.
