LONDON, March 4, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The British government announced Tuesday that it would stop issuing education visas to nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan and work visas for Afghans as part of its broader clampdown on asylum seekers.

The Home Office said there had been a surge in asylum applications by students from those countries and almost 135,000 asylum seekers in total had entered the UK using legal routes since 2021.

"Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused," said Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a statement. "That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity."

The Home Office said the number of asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan had "rocketed" by more than 470 percent between 2021 and 2025.

Migration has become a major issue in British politics with the hard-right Reform UK surging in opinion polls with its anti-migration stance.

Successive governments have struggled to contain small boats crossing the Channel from France, which bring large numbers of undocumented migrants. But the authorities also face pressure to reduce numbers of asylum seekers entering on other routes.

The Home Office said the government has "reduced student asylum claims by 20 percent over the course of 2025, further action is needed as those arriving on study visas still make up 13 percent of all claims in the system".