UK Warns Foreign Students Against Misusing Asylum Route

The British government has begun directly contacting international students, including Indians, via text and email, cautioning them against overstaying visas or applying for asylum without valid grounds.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that around 15,000 students annually file asylum claims after their visas expire, even when conditions in their home countries remain unchanged. She stressed that this misuse puts pressure on asylum housing and prolongs cases unnecessarily.

“If nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course,” Cooper said, adding that the system must not be used as a way to extend visas.

The warning messages being sent to students state: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”

Government data shows that in the year up to June, about 14,800 asylum applications (13%) came from those on study visas. Pakistanis made up the largest group with 5,700 applications, followed by Indians, Bangladeshis, and Nigerians.

Although fewer applications were recorded compared to last year, the figure is still nearly six times higher than in 2020.