The UK government is actively warning international students about the consequences of overstaying their visas, urging them to leave the country upon expiration. This campaign, launched by the Home Office, comes in response to a concerning rise in student visa holders claiming asylum to remain in the UK.
In a first-of-its-kind initiative, the government is directly contacting students via text and email to inform them of the need to depart if they lack legal grounds to stay. 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.”
Data from the Home Office indicates that approximately 15% of asylum applications in the past year were submitted by individuals who initially arrived on student visas, with about 16,000 such applications recorded. Although it’s unclear how many applications were made after visas expired, officials are taking decisive action.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper noted that some students are claiming asylum without significant changes in their home countries, which adds pressure to an already strained asylum system. The campaign has already reached around 10,000 students whose visas are nearing expiry, with plans to contact an additional 130,000 students and their families in the upcoming months.
Cooper emphasized the importance of addressing the increase in asylum claims from legal entrants, including students, as part of a broader effort to tighten immigration rules. The government recently reduced the post-study work period for graduates from two years to 18 months, aiming to further regulate the transition from student visas to asylum claims.
