Tens of thousands of international students in the UK are being contacted directly by the government and warned they face removal if they remain in the country after their visas expire.
The Home Office has launched a new campaign in response to what it has described as an “alarming” rise in the number of overseas students legally entering Britain on study visas but later applying for asylum. For the first time, officials are contacting students proactively by text and email to remind them of their obligations and warn of the consequences of overstaying.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said the government had seen a worrying increase in students using the asylum system after completing their courses. “Some international students are claiming asylum even when things haven’t changed in their home country,” she told the BBC.
Home Office figures show that of all asylum claims lodged in the UK in the year to June, around 13% — some 14,800 applications — were made by individuals who had initially arrived on study visas. However, the data does not specify how many of these applications came from students who had overstayed.
The Home Office has made tightening controls around the student visa system a central part of its immigration strategy in recent months. Officials argue that while international students make a valuable contribution to British universities and the wider economy, the system is being misused by a minority seeking alternative routes to settlement.
In May, the government announced a series of reforms aimed at cracking down on what it sees as abuse of the student route. These include stricter requirements on universities sponsoring foreign students, with institutions now expected to meet tougher visa refusal and course completion rates to retain their sponsorship licences. The new rules, which came into effect this month, are designed to prevent courses from being used as a backdoor into the UK.
The latest campaign reflects a broader effort by ministers to reduce net migration, which reached record levels last year. While the government insists the majority of overseas students comply with the conditions of their visas, it has pledged to strengthen enforcement to deter misuse.
Officials say the campaign is intended both to send a clear message to students about the importance of compliance and to reassure the public that the asylum system is not being exploited.
The move comes at a time of heightened political focus on immigration, with ministers under pressure to balance the UK’s reputation as a global education hub with demands for tighter border controls.
