The UK government has said it will refuse study visa applications from four countries Sudan, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Myanmar. The decision comes as part of a crackdown on what it calls misuse of the visa system.

In a post on X, the UK Home Office said, “Our crackdown on visa abuse is now in force.”

“From today, study visas will be refused for applicants from Sudan, Afghanistan, Cameroon and Myanmar.”

“We will always offer sanctuary to those genuinely fleeing danger, but we must stop those exploiting our generosity.”

Sharp rise in asylum claims

The Home Office said the number of asylum applications from students of these four countries has increased sharply in recent years. In a press release, released on March 4, it noted that applications rose by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025.

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Between 2021 and September 2025, about 95 percent of Afghan students who came on study visas later applied for asylum. Applications from Myanmar increased 16 times during the same period.

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Asylum claims from students from Cameroon and Sudan also rose by more than 330 percent, which the government said is putting pressure on the UK’s asylum system.

Government defends decision

Secretary of State for the Home Department Shabana Mahmood said the UK will continue to help people in genuine need, but will not allow misuse of its systems.

“Britain will always provide ⁠refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa ⁠system must not be ⁠abused,” Mahmood said in the press release.

“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” Mahmood said.

Efforts to reduce asylum pressure

The government said it has already taken steps to reduce asylum claims. In 2025, student asylum claims were reduced by 20 percent. However, students still make up about 13 percent of all asylum claims, which officials say is still too high.

Since taking office in July 2024, the government also said it has cut £1 billion (around €1.14 billion) from the asylum support budget.

Migration a key political issue

Migration has become a major political issue in the UK. The rise of the hard-right Reform UK party, which has a strong anti-immigration stance, has increased pressure on the government.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government has responded by tightening asylum rules and speeding up deportations of people who arrive illegally.

Use of visa policy as leverage

The UK government has also used visa policies to push other countries to take back their citizens who are in the UK illegally.

In November, Mahmood warned that the UK could stop issuing visas to people from Angola, Namibia and the Democratic Republic of Congo if their governments did not cooperate.

Four months later, the Home Office said agreements had been reached with all three countries. It added, “cooperation has been secured with all three countries. Flights are off the ground and illegal migrants and foreign national offenders are being returned.”