The United Kingdom government has launched a campaign warning international students not to overstay their visas, cautioning that those who remain illegally will face removal.
For the first time, the Home Office has begun sending direct text and email messages to students, with about 10,000 whose visas are due to expire already contacted. Tens of thousands more are expected to receive similar warnings in the coming months as the autumn intake begins.
The message states: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.” It also warns that asylum claims deemed “lacking merit” will be rejected swiftly.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC that some students were abusing the asylum system by applying for refugee status without any change in conditions in their home countries. “We obviously will do our bit to support genuine refugees. But if nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course,” she said.
Official data shows asylum claims from individuals who originally entered on student visas reached 16,000 in 2024, nearly six times higher than in 2020, making students the largest category of visa holders applying for asylum after their leave expired.
Overall, 41,100 asylum applications in the year to June 2025 were from people who initially entered legally on visas, compared to 43,600 from those arriving across the Channel in small boats. Although asylum applications from students have fallen by 10 percent this year, ministers remain concerned about pressure on asylum accommodation, including widespread use of hotels.
The UK has also tightened post-study visa rules, reducing the maximum period graduates can remain after completing their courses from two years to 18 months.
