The UK government has told foreign students that they will be removed if they remain in the country after their visas expire.
The Home Office said the initiative was prompted by an increase in international students applying for asylum once their study visas run out.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper described the situation as “alarming,” noting that some students are making claims “even when nothing has changed in their home country.”
For the first time, the government is contacting students directly by text and email.
Around 10,000 students whose visas are about to expire have already received messages, with tens of thousands more expected in the coming months. In total, about 130,000 students and their families will be warned.
The message tells recipients: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
It also cautions that asylum applications deemed to lack merit will be “swiftly and robustly refused.”
Home Office figures show that in the year to June, 14,800 asylum claims, about 13% of the total, came from people who had arrived on study visas. This is nearly six times higher than in 2020, though numbers have recently dipped by 10%.
The government fears too many students are exploiting the asylum system simply to extend their stay.
While many claims are legitimate, Cooper said the government must address “every single bit” of the problem to reduce pressures on asylum accommodation and hotels.
The move is part of a policy to tighten migration rules.
In May, the government announced stricter requirements for universities sponsoring foreign students. It has also cut the post-study work allowance for graduates from two years to 18 months.
The clampdown comes as migration dominates UK politics, with the government also suspending refugee family reunion applications and preparing to implement its “one in, one out” migrant returns deal with France later this month.
