UK warns international students: No asylum bids after study visa expiry

The UK Home Office is sending direct messages to foreign students, cautioning against overstays and asylum misuse as record claims pressure the system

The British government has begun sending direct messages to overseas students, including Indians, warning them not to overstay their visas or use the asylum system as a way to remain in the country. Tens of thousands of students are expected to receive these messages from the Home Office as their study visas near expiry. 

 

The UK government's warning to international students

 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper told the House of Commons on Monday that the government was taking steps to “fix a broken asylum system” and overhaul appeals.

 

“We are taking a series of practical steps to tackle the chaos and make sure that we have got a system that is ordered and controlled again,” said Cooper.

 

 

She pointed to misuse of student visas as a key problem flagged in the Immigration White Paper released earlier this year.

 

“Up to 15,000 students each year end up claiming asylum often as they come to the end of their visa, even when things haven't changed in their home country,” Cooper said. “Then going into the asylum system, sometimes staying there for years, that also causes problems with asylum accommodation and hotels. That's what we need to fix.”

 

She added: “If nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course. We need to clamp down on that kind of misuse and that's why we are sending these messages to be very clear to people, the asylum system is not for people who just want to extend their visas.”

 

The Home Office message warns that any request for asylum support will be tested strictly against “destitution criteria”. Students without a legal right to remain are told to leave voluntarily or face deportation. 

 

Key points include in UK Visa:

 

• Asylum claims will be assessed only against strict criteria

• Overstayers risk deportation

• Voluntary departure is encouraged before enforcement action

 

Record asylum claims in UK

 

UK government figures released last month showed 111,000 people claimed asylum in the year ending June 2025, the highest number since records began in 1979. 

 

UK Visa Data showed

 

• Indian students received 98,014 visa grants in the year ending June 2025, down 11 per cent from last year

• Pakistanis and Bangladeshis topped the list of asylum claimants previously in the UK on valid visas

• Indian nationals accounted for just 1 per cent of asylum “grants” in 2024

• Approval rates were higher for other groups, such as Syrians (98 per cent), Eritreans (87 per cent), and Sudanese (99 per cent)

 

Between June 2022 and June 2025, asylum claims from legal routes tripled to 41,400, making up 37 per cent of overall claims. International students formed the largest group at 40 per cent, followed by work visas (29 per cent) and visitor visas (24 per cent).

 

The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU) UK said the majority of students were not misusing the system.

 

“We emphasise that the vast majority of Indian students in the UK are law-abiding, fully comply with their visa conditions, and enrich Britain's universities, economy, and society. They are at the heart of the living bridge between India and the UK,” Sanam Arora, chair of NISAU UK told BBC.

 

She added: “Our message to students is simple: there is no need to panic or be concerned. Know your visa conditions, comply with them fully, and if you are uncertain or need help, reach out to us at NISAU. We are here to guide and support you.”