Dwelling Secretary Shabana Mahmood has introduced that the UK authorities will cease issuing examine visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan beginning this month.
The Dwelling Workplace stated the transfer is geared toward curbing widespread visa abuse, noting that nationals from the 4 nations have been the almost definitely to say asylum after arriving within the UK legally to review.
Expert work visas for Afghans have additionally been suspended.
A authorities spokesperson stated, “The federal government is clamping down on visa abuse so the UK can preserve its skill and proud custom of serving to these genuinely in want.”
Dwelling Workplace knowledge reveals that asylum claims by individuals who initially travelled to the UK on examine visas greater than tripled between 2021 and 2025. Presently, such claims make up 13% of all asylum purposes within the system.
The federal government famous {that a} greater proportion of asylum candidates from the 4 nations cited destitution of their claims, with round 16,000 individuals from these nations presently receiving help.
Since 2021, about 95% of Afghans who arrived within the UK on examine visas have gone on to use for asylum, whereas purposes from college students from Myanmar have surged sixteen-fold.
Claims by college students from Cameroon and Sudan have greater than quadrupled over the identical interval.
In accordance with Mahmood, laws shall be launched to implement the brand new visa restrictions by way of modifications to the Immigration Guidelines on Thursday, March 5.
The measures observe earlier warnings in November when she threatened to halt visas for Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo except deportations resumed.
The modifications additionally pause household reunion and require refugees to satisfy {financial} and integration necessities much like these anticipated of British residents. Unaccompanied youngsters will proceed to obtain 5 years’ go away whereas long-term coverage for this group is being reviewed.
Nairametrics reported that between 2010 and 2024, the UK acquired a complete of twenty-two,619 asylum purposes from Nigerian nationals, with a pointy spike in 2024 when 2,841 purposes have been made, virtually doubling the earlier yr. General, the UK recorded 108,138 asylum purposes in 2024.
