Britain will block study visas for nationals of four countries and suspend work visas for Afghans in a sweeping move the government says is needed to stem a sharp rise in asylum claims made
by people entering through legal routes.
The decision, announced Tuesday, comes as immigration remains one of the most politically charged issues in the country, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer under pressure to show tighter control of borders while the populist Reform UK party gains ground in opinion polls.
Under what officials described as an “emergency brake,” the Home Office will stop issuing student visas to applicants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. At the same time, Afghans will no longer be granted work visas.
Officials said asylum applications from students arriving from the four countries had increased more than fivefold between 2021 and 2025. Claims lodged by Afghans who entered on work visas have also overtaken the number of visas issued, according to the government.
“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said. “That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity.”
Asylum claims climb
The Home Office said asylum claims made after entry on legal visas have more than tripled since 2021 and accounted for 39% of the roughly 100,000 applications filed last year.
Nearly 16,000 nationals from the four affected countries are currently being supported at public expense, including more than 6,000 housed in hotels. Ministers say this has intensified pressure on an asylum system that now costs about £4 billion ($5.34 billion) a year.
The new restrictions will take effect on March 26. The government said it plans to introduce capped “safe and legal routes” for migration once the asylum system is brought under control.
Balancing control and protection
Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, Britain has granted sanctuary to more than 37,000 Afghans through resettlement schemes. Last year alone, around 190,000 humanitarian visas were issued across all nationalities.
At the same time, London has stepped up efforts to return failed asylum seekers. The government said it has secured cooperation on returns from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo, after warning last year that visa access could be restricted if countries did not cooperate.
Starmer has previously argued that Britain’s asylum rules are more permissive than those in parts of Europe and act as a “pull factor” for migrants. His government has already set out plans to make refugee status temporary and accelerate the removal of people who arrive illegally.
The latest visa curbs underscore a broader shift: a tougher stance designed to reassure voters on immigration, while ministers insist the UK will continue to meet its obligations to those fleeing conflict and persecution. Photo by dannyman, Wikimedia commons.