‘Foreign students overstaying visas will be deported’ – UK warns
The United Kingdom has issued a stern warning to international students, telling them to leave once their visas expire or face deportation.
As part of a new campaign, the Home Office has begun sending direct messages by text and email to foreign students — the first time such an approach has been used.
The BBC reports that about 10,000 students whose visas are nearing expiration have already received the warning, with tens of thousands more expected to be contacted in the coming months.
The message reads: “If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you.” It also cautions that asylum claims “lacking merit” will be swiftly refused.
Officials said the move follows a surge in international students applying for asylum after their visas run out. Data from July 2024 to June 2025 shows 41,100 asylum applications from people who originally entered legally, with students making up the largest share.
In 2024 alone, 16,000 students filed asylum claims, nearly six times the figure recorded in 2020. Although the number has since fallen by about 10 percent, ministers say they want a sharper decline.
The Home Office noted that asylum applications from skilled worker visa holders have also dropped.
Earlier this year, the UK cut the time foreign graduates can stay after completing their studies, reducing it from two years to 18 months.
