The United Kingdom has warned international students against overstaying their visas, saying thousands risk deportation if they fail to comply with immigration rules.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued the warning on Monday, describing the move as part of broader efforts to tighten migration policies amid what she called an “alarming” rise in students applying for asylum after their visas expire.
“If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused.
“Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, you will not receive support. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” Cooper said.
She disclosed that the Home Office will contact about 130,000 students and their families via text and email to clarify the strict rules guiding their stay in the UK.
According to Home Office data, asylum claims from people who entered the UK legally have tripled between June 2022 and June 2025, now accounting for 37 per cent of all applications.
International students make up the largest group within this category, representing 40 per cent of claimants, a number that reached 16,000 last year, nearly six times higher than in 2020.
Cooper noted that despite a 10 per cent drop in student asylum claims in the past six months, the government intends to push the numbers down further, adding that the first deportations under a new returns agreement with France would take effect “later this month.”
The clampdown comes amid heightened political pressure from opposition parties, including the Conservatives and Reform, for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to adopt tougher immigration controls.
The Home Office is also working to clear the backlog of asylum cases and reduce reliance on hotels for housing claimants.
