The UK government will stop issuing study visas to people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan from this month, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has said, as well as stopping skilled work visas to Afghans.

The Home Office said the action was being taken due to what it said was widespread visa abuse.

According to official figures, people from the four countries were the most likely to make an asylum claim after originally coming to the UK to study.

“The government is clamping down on visa abuse so the UK can maintain its ability and proud tradition of helping those genuinely in need,” a government spokesperson added.

In its release, the government said asylum claims from people who had originally travelled to the UK legally – to do something like studying – had more than tripled between 2021 and 2025.

Home Office figures showed that people claiming asylum off the back of a study visa make up 13% of all claims currently in the system.

Mahmood said she was “taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity”.