By Charles Pemu 
The UK government is directly warning tens of thousands of international students that they will face deportation if they overstay their visas. The unprecedented move is part of a broader crackdown on a dramatic increase in students who are applying for asylum after their visas expire.
The Home Office confirmed it is sending out text and email alerts to students. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated that some individuals are using the asylum system as a loophole, even when there have been no changes in their home countries. This trend, she said, “causes problems with asylum accommodation and hotels” and burdens the system for years.
In the year ending in June 2025, approximately 13% of all asylum claims around 14,800 cases came from people on student visas. This figure is nearly six times higher than in 2020. Although the number has recently dropped, ministers are pushing for a further reduction.
The warning message is clear and direct: “If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused… If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
This new initiative is part of a series of measures aimed at tightening immigration rules. The government has already made it more difficult for universities to maintain their sponsorship licenses if students fail to complete their courses. Earlier this year, the post-study work visa for graduates was also shortened from two years to 18 months.
As Parliament resumed on Monday, Cooper announced a temporary suspension of new refugee family reunion applications. She also confirmed that the first migrant returns under the UK’s new “one in, one out” agreement with France will begin later this month, signaling a broader push to reduce immigration and clear the asylum backlog.