An emergency brake student visas measure will stop study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said, effective this month in the UK. Mahmood said the move targets what the Home Office described as widespread visa abuse and rising asylum claims from people who arrived on legal routes. The government will also stop skilled work visas for Afghans as part of the same action.
Key facts and figures
The Home Office has focused the ban on four countries where, it says, a growing share of people arriving study routes later lodge asylum claims. Home Office figures show asylum claims from people who originally travelled to the UK legally more than tripled between 2021 and 2025 ET, and students who later applied for asylum now account for a notable share of claims in the system. The department says people who arrived on study visas make up 13% of all current claims, and that roughly 16, 000 people from the four specified countries are currently being supported.
Breakdowns cited by the Home Office show particularly sharp rises: about 95% of Afghans who arrived on a study visa applied for asylum since 2021 ET; student claims from Myanmar rose 16-fold; and claims by students from Cameroon and Sudan more than quadrupled. Officials say 39% of the 100, 000 people who claimed asylum in 2025 ET did so after arriving a legal migration route such as study.
Emergency Brake Student Visas: official statements
Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary, Home Office, said: “I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control to our borders. ” A government spokesperson added: “The government is clamping down on visa abuse so the UK can maintain its ability and proud tradition of helping those genuinely in need. ” The Home Office cited the actions as necessary to protect the integrity of the visa system and the asylum process.
Context in brief
The Home Office framed the moves against a backdrop of instability in the four countries named: Afghanistan has a volatile security situation with recent cross-border tensions; Sudan has been in civil war since 2023 ET, creating a large humanitarian displacement; and official figures show rising asylum claims linked to legal migration routes between 2021 and 2025 ET.
What happens next
The visa ban is due to be introduced through an immigration rules change on Thursday ET, and Mahmood is expected to set out further measures that will toughen the asylum system. Officials say future refugee status will be temporary in the new regime, set at 30 months, with reviews and expectations of return for claimants from countries the government deems safe. Expect immediate political debate and legal challenge when the emergency brake student visas measure is laid out on Thursday ET.
