UK Home Office warns thousands of Indian students of overstaying, asylum and visa misuse

The UK government has started alerting overseas students, including a large number of Indians, about the consequences of overstaying visas or attempting to use the asylum system to remain in the country. The Home Office plans to send messages to tens of thousands of students as their study permits approach expiration.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper informed the House of Commons on Monday that measures are underway to “fix a broken asylum system” and reform the appeal process.

“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 said. She highlighted misuse of student visas as a major concern identified in the government’s Immigration White Paper released earlier this year.

“Each year, up to 15,000 students end up filing asylum claims, often as their visas expire, even when conditions in their home countries remain unchanged,” she noted. “Many remain in the asylum system for extended periods, which places pressure on accommodation and hotel resources. This is an issue we need to address.”

Cooper stressed, “If nothing has changed in a person’s home country, claiming asylum at the end of a student course is not acceptable. We need to take strong action against this misuse, which is why these messages are being sent — to make it very clear that the asylum system is not intended as a visa extension.”

The notifications from the Home Office clarify that any asylum applications will be judged strictly against the “destitution criteria.” Students without lawful permission to stay are advised to depart voluntarily or risk deportation. Key points in the guidance include:

• Asylum requests will be evaluated against stringent eligibility criteria

• Overstaying visas may result in enforced removal

• Voluntary exit is recommended before enforcement procedures begin

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Government data released recently shows that 111,000 people lodged asylum claims in the year ending June 2025, marking the highest figure since 1979. Between June 2022 and June 2025, asylum claims through legal routes tripled to 41,400, representing 37 per cent of total claims. International students made up the largest share at 40 per cent, followed by work visa holders at 29 per cent and visitors at 24 per cent.

Visa statistics for Indian students indicate 98,014 grants in the year ending June 2025, an 11 per cent decline from the previous year. Indian nationals accounted for just 1 per cent of asylum approvals in 2024. By comparison, Syrians had a 98 per cent approval rate, Eritreans 87 per cent, and Sudanese 99 per cent.