The UK government has urgently suspended the issuance of student visas from four countries—Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan—after detecting a rise in violations of visa conditions.
Sabana Mahmood, the UK Home Secretary, stated that it was necessary to halt issuing student visas from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan because widespread breaches of visa conditions were reported among students from these countries.
Students from these four countries have exhibited similar visa violations by mostly applying for asylum in the UK after beginning their studies there; the number of such cases increased threefold between 2021 and 2025.
The proportion of asylum claims by students from these countries has risen alarmingly, and currently, over 16,000 students from these four nations are under the care and support of the UK government.
The UK government revealed that over 95% of Afghan students have applied for asylum; Myanmar student asylum applications have increased sixteenfold, while Cameroon and Sudan combined have seen a 330% rise.
This situation could lead to an unsustainable refugee system in the UK, prompting the government to take decisive action by suspending visa issuance to reduce the rising number of migrants over the past five years.
In early March 2026, the government further announced that refugee protection periods would be reduced to 30 months, with a return to normalcy once the government regains control of the situation.
Source:BBC