The British government has launched a fresh crackdown on foreign students who overstay their visas, warning that anyone without legal status will face removal.
According to the BBC, the Home Office has begun directly contacting students via text and email, reminding them of the consequences of remaining in the UK illegally.
The move follows what officials describe as a sharp rise in student visa holders turning to the asylum system to extend their stay.
“If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” the warning message reads.
Home Office data shows that about 15 per cent of asylum applications last year—roughly 16,000 cases—came from people who originally entered the country on student visas.
Although the figures do not confirm how many applied after their visas expired, officials say the trend is significant enough to trigger urgent intervention.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said some students were submitting asylum claims “even when things have not changed in their home country.”
While stressing that the government would continue to support genuine refugees, she noted that growing misuse of the system was adding pressure to already strained asylum accommodation and hotel services.
Nearly 10,000 students whose visas are close to expiry have already been contacted, while a further 130,000 are expected to receive warnings in the coming months as the autumn intake approaches.
The Home Office has also tightened rules for universities, requiring stricter visa refusal rates and higher course completion thresholds to retain their sponsorship licences.
Last year, the UK recorded 108,000 asylum applications. Of these, around 40,000 were from people who entered legally on study, work, or visitor visas—compared with 35,000 from small boat crossings.
Student visa holders made up the largest group among legal entrants seeking asylum, a figure nearly six times higher than in 2020, though slightly reduced in the past year.
Cooper maintained that tackling student visa abuse was essential to fixing the wider asylum system. “To fix the system, we must tackle every single bit of it,” she said.
The government has also shortened the post-study work period for international graduates, cutting it from two years to 18 months, as part of broader efforts to tighten immigration rules.