UK Warns International Students Against Overstaying Visas

The UK government has launched a new campaign aimed at international students, warning them against overstaying their visas. For the first time, the Home Office is directly contacting foreign students via text and email, telling them they will be removed from the country if they remain without legal status.

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The move comes after what officials describe as an “alarming” increase in students applying for asylum once their student visas expire. In the year to June 2025, more than 41,000 asylum claims came from people who had entered the UK legally on visas, with the largest proportion being students. Around 16,000 of these claims came from individuals on student visas, nearly six times the figure recorded in 2020.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said students were entering the asylum system unnecessarily, adding that many claims were being made even when conditions in their home countries had not changed. She argued this has placed added pressure on asylum accommodation and hotels. While stressing the UK’s duty to genuine refugees, Cooper said the government would act against those abusing the system.

The campaign has already seen 10,000 students contacted directly, with tens of thousands more set to receive warnings this autumn.

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The Home Office has outlined the message international students will receive, making clear that unfounded asylum claims will be swiftly rejected. The message warns that anyone with “no legal right to remain” must leave the country, and those who refuse will face removal. It also notes that asylum support will only be provided to those who can prove they are destitute.

The campaign comes at a time when the government faces wider political pressure to reduce migration. While much of the focus has been on people arriving across the Channel in small boats, ministers are increasingly turning attention to those entering legally with visas and later applying for asylum.

According to Home Office data, small boat arrivals accounted for 43,600 asylum seekers in the year to June 2025, around 39% of all claims. But visa holders, especially students, made up a similar number, with 41,100 claims. Although the number of student-related asylum claims has dropped by 10% over the past year, ministers say more needs to be done.

Earlier this year, the government also reduced the time overseas graduates can stay in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months. Officials hope the new measures will deter misuse of the system.

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