UK campaign cautions overseas students against overstaying visas

The British government has begun a direct messaging campaign to caution overseas students, including Indians, against overstaying their visas or claiming asylum in the country as their study visas expire.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper used a statement in the House of Commons on Monday to highlight her plans to fix a “broken” asylum system and a complete overhaul of the appeals system.

An 'Immigration White Paper' released earlier this year had flagged a series of problems involving the “misuse and exploitation of student visas”, which led to increasing numbers of asylum claims from foreign students at the end of their course.

“We are taking a series of practical steps to tackle the chaos and make sure that we have got a system that is ordered and controlled again,” Cooper told the BBC.

“Up to 15,000 students each year end up claiming asylum often as they come to the end of their visa, even when things haven't changed in their home country. Then going into the asylum system, sometimes staying there for years, that also causes problems with asylum accommodation and hotels. That's what we need to fix,” the minister said.

“If nothing has changed in their country, people should not be claiming asylum at the end of a student course. We need to clamp down on that kind of misuse and that's why we are sending these messages to be very clear to people, the asylum system is not for people who just want to extend their visas,” she said.

Thousands of foreign students enrolled in UK universities are expected to receive these direct Home Office messages as they approach the end of their visas, viewed as a deterrent to breaching the conditions.

The message reads that any request for asylum support will be assessed strictly against “destitution criteria” and warns students who have no legal right to remain in the UK to leave voluntarily or face deportation.

UK government statistics released last month showed 111,000 people had claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending in June 2025, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1979.

Pakistanis and Bangladeshis have topped the charts of claimants previously arriving in the UK on a valid visa. The data also revealed that Indian students at 98,014 visa grants in the year ending June 2025 registered an 11 per cent fall in overall numbers compared to last year.

The National Indian Students and Alumni Union (NISAU), UK, said the government's efforts to protect the immigration system from misuse was in the interests of the thousands of genuine international students.

“We emphasise that the vast majority of Indian students in the UK are law-abiding, fully comply with their visa conditions, and enrich Britain's universities, economy, and society. They are at the heart of the living bridge between India and the UK,” said NISAU UK chair Sanam Arora.

“Our message to students is simple: there is no need to panic or be concerned. Know your visa conditions, comply with them fully, and if you are uncertain or need help, reach out to us at NISAU. We are here to guide and support you,” she said.

According to the Home Office data for 2024, Indian nationals rank sixth among the top 10 nationalities claiming asylum in the UK – making up just 1 per cent of “grants”.

This contrasts with a 53 per cent grant rate for Pakistanis and Afghans and 64 per cent for Iranians. Bangladesh (19 per cent), Syria (98 per cent), Vietnam (25 per cent), Eritrea (87 per cent), Sudan (99 per cent) and Iraq (32 per cent) complete the top 10 tally.

The asylum issue has been in sharp focus in recent weeks as the Home Office was embroiled in a legal battle over housing asylum seekers in hotels and Opposition parties continue to mount pressure on the Labour government to speed up deportations.