The UK has launched a crackdown on foreign students overstaying visas, warning deportation and rejecting unmerited asylum claims
The UK Home Office has warned international students against overstaying their visas, cautioning that those who remain illegally face deportation. As part of a new enforcement campaign, students with expiring visas are being contacted directly by text and email, marking the first time such a measure is being used.
According to the BBC, about 10,000 students have already received the message, while tens of thousands more will be contacted in coming months. The notice reads: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.”
The Home Office also pledged to swiftly reject asylum claims “lacking merit.” The initiative comes amid what ministers described as an “alarming” rise in asylum applications from students. Data shows 16,000 students filed asylum claims in 2024, nearly six times higher than in 2020. Officials say although numbers have since dipped, they are seeking a further decline.