The United Kingdom has introduced new strict measures to tighten student visa controls after discovering that study visas were being used as a channel to apply for asylum. This is expected to impact international students, particularly from South Asia.
Under a new policy from the UK Home Office effective since last September, universities in the UK must take greater responsibility for screening applicants. Educational institutions are required to keep the student visa refusal rate below 5%, and those exceeding this rate may face penalties, including bans on accepting international students.
Data shows that the student visa refusal rate is as high as 18% for Pakistan and 22% for Bangladesh, far exceeding the government's set limit. This has led many universities to implement stricter screening measures or temporarily suspend admissions from these countries.
London Metropolitan University is among the institutions that have confirmed suspending applications from Bangladesh after seeing a sharp rise in visa refusals. University officials stated that UK authorities consider some regions as high-risk areas.
UK officials revealed that in 2024, about 16,000 people entered the country on student visas before later applying for asylum. More than 80% of asylum seekers from Pakistan and Bangladesh initially entered the UK with valid visas.
A spokesperson for the UK Home Office said the government continues to value international students but must enforce stricter measures to ensure that those entering are genuine students, with educational institutions held accountable for their role.
However, academics and international student groups warn that such blanket policies could unfairly exclude students who genuinely intend to study.
Meanwhile, tighter immigration policies in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia are pushing South Asian students to choose other Asian countries for their studies, such as Malaysia, which offers lower tuition fees, simpler visa processes, and less complex financial documentation requirements.
Some experts believe that if source countries cannot control visa misuse, the reputation of their students internationally could suffer long-term damage.
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