The United Kingdom yesterday put emergency visa bans on four countries after accusing migrants of exploiting Britain’s asylum system. Study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan have been halted, as have work visas for Afghans.

The government has placed an emergency brake on the visa routes as it claims a growing number of people from these countries are using legal migration routes as a backdoor to claim asylum in the UK. It’s the first time such visa bans have been used by the UK government, in a step, the Home Office has described as “unprecedented”.

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said: “Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused. “That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control to our borders.”

According to Home Office figures, some 39% of the 100,000 who claimed asylum in 2025 did so after arriving in the UK through a legal migration route, like a study visa. Asylum applications by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan represent the most significant part of a spike between 2021 and September 2025, the Home Office added.