UK tells foreign students: You must leave if you’ve no right to stay
By Jeffrey Agbo
The United Kingdom government has begun sending direct warnings to tens of thousands of international students, telling them to leave the country once their visas expire or risk being forcibly removed, the BBC reported on Tuesday.
The Home Office launched the initiative amid what it described as a troubling surge in student visa holders attempting to remain in the UK by filing asylum claims. For the first time, officials are proactively contacting students via email and text messages to spell out the legal consequences of overstaying.
“If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” the messages stated, according to the BBC.
Government figures show that about 15 per cent of asylum requests lodged last year—roughly 16,000 applications—came from individuals who originally entered on student visas. While the data does not break down how many were filed after visas had lapsed, officials say the trend is significant enough to trigger immediate intervention.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper voiced concerns over misuse of the system, telling the BBC that some students are “claiming asylum even when things have not changed in their home country.”
She added, “We obviously will do our bit to support genuine refugees, but if nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course.”
Cooper said the rise in student asylum claims was straining an already stretched asylum system, including hotel accommodation.
So far, about 10,000 students approaching visa expiry have received warnings, with another 130,000 students and dependents expected to be contacted in the coming months, timed with the autumn academic intake.
The messages also caution students that weak claims will be dismissed quickly: “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,” the BBC reported.
The crackdown forms part of the Labour government’s tougher stance on migration. In May, ministers unveiled new rules requiring universities to meet stricter standards on visa refusal rates and student completion rates to retain sponsorship powers for international students.
While much political attention has centred on irregular Channel crossings, ministers are increasingly worried about people entering the UK legally, particularly on student visas, and later applying for asylum.
Of the 108,000 asylum claims filed in 2024, some 40,000 came from legal entrants, including students, workers, and visitors. That figure outstripped the 35,000 claims from small boat arrivals, BBC reported.
Among legal migrants, student visa holders accounted for the largest share of asylum seekers, nearly six times higher than in 2020. Although numbers have since fallen by about 10 per cent, the Home Office says further reductions are needed.
Cooper acknowledged that asylum requests from students represent just over 10 per cent of total claims, but insisted that “to fix the system, we must tackle every single bit of it.”
As part of the tightening measures, the government has also reduced the post-study stay period for international graduates from two years to 18 months.
