London — The UK government has announced that foreign students who remain in the country after their visa expires will face deportation, as part of a wider crackdown on abuse of the immigration system.
According to British media reports, the Home Office has issued warnings via emails and text messages to thousands of international students, alerting them to leave the country once their visa period ends.
Officials say the move comes in response to a concerning rise in asylum applications from individuals who originally entered the UK on student visas but remained illegally after their visas expired.
In the past year alone, the UK received nearly 14,800 asylum applications, a significant number of which came from international students. Pakistani students topped the list, submitting around 5,700 asylum claims, followed by students from India, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.
UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that many of the asylum applications were submitted by individuals from countries where there is no ongoing conflict or immediate danger, suggesting a misuse of the asylum system.
“This is a clear abuse of the system and undermines the integrity of our immigration laws,” Cooper said.
The announcement comes just a day after the UK temporarily suspended new applications for refugee family reunification, a move also aimed at easing pressure on the asylum system.
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The new measures reflect a broader shift in UK immigration policy, aiming to tighten controls and prevent the misuse of student visas and the asylum process.
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