The government has imposed an immediate suspension on certain visas for nationals from four countries, with home secretary Shabana Mahmood accusing them of exploiting the UK’s asylum system.
Study visas for individuals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan have been halted, along with work visas specifically for Afghan nationals.
This drastic measure comes as the government alleges that an increasing number of people from these nations are utilising legal migration routes as a backdoor to claim asylum in Britain.
The Home Office has characterised this suspension as an “unprecedented” move, marking the first instance of such widespread visa bans being implemented.
Ms Mahmood said: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused.
“That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity.
“I will restore order and control to our borders.”
According to Home Office figures, some 39 per cent of the 100,000 people who claimed asylum in 2025 did so after arriving in the UK through a legal migration route, like a study visa.
Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan represent the most significant part of a spike between 2021 and September 2025, the Home Office added.
The visa ban will be officially introduced via an immigration rules change on Thursday.
The number of people coming to the UK on work visas is falling, with 19 per cent fewer foreign nationals on this visa in 2025 compared to 2024. This has largely been driven by a fall in health and care visas following the introduction of tougher visa requirements.
Overall, asylum grant rates are also falling, from 47 per cent in 2024 to 42 per cent in 2025. There have been significant drops in some nationalities’ asylum success rates, such as Syrians, who have dropped from 98 per cent in 2024 to 9 per cent in 2025.
Afghan nationals have also seen their asylum grant rate fall from 51 per cent to 34 per cent, and Pakistanis from 53 per cent to 35 in the past year.
The home secretary threatened a similar halt to all UK visas for Angola, Namibia and the Democratic of Congo in November, unless their governments agreed to take back illegal migrants.
This led to co-operation agreements with all three countries, and illegal migrants being returned via deportation flights.
Under the widely trailed plans, asylum seekers in the UK will have their refugee status reviewed every 30 months in an effort to make the UK less attractive for illegal immigrants.
Refugees whose countries are deemed safe will be expected to return home.
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