International students warned to not overstay visas

Tens of hundreds of overseas college students are being contacted straight by the federal government and informed they are going to be faraway from the UK in the event that they overstay their visas.The Dwelling Workplace launched the brand new authorities marketing campaign in response to what it has referred to as an “alarming” spike within the variety of worldwide college students arriving legally on pupil visas then claiming asylum after they expire.As a part of the marketing campaign, the Dwelling Workplace has for the primary time proactively contacted worldwide college students straight by textual content and electronic mail.Dwelling Secretary Yvette Cooper informed the BBC worldwide college students are claiming asylum “even when issues have not modified of their house nation”.Beneath the plans, about 130,000 college students and their households in complete can be despatched a message telling them if they’ve “no authorized proper to stay” within the nation they “should go away”.Ten thousand worldwide college students whose visas are because of expire have already been contacted straight by textual content and electronic mail – warning them they could possibly be deported.Tens of hundreds extra will obtain the message within the coming months, the BBC understands, to coincide with autumn when functions typically improve.The complete message will learn: “For those who submit an asylum declare that lacks benefit, it will likely be swiftly and robustly refused. “Any request for asylum help can be assessed towards destitution standards. If you don’t meet the factors, you’ll not obtain help. “In case you have no authorized proper to stay within the UK, you have to go away. “For those who do not, we are going to take away you.”Cooper informed BBC Breakfast on Tuesday that college students are coming into the asylum system and generally staying there for years, which “causes issues with asylum lodging and inns”.”We clearly will do our bit to help real refugees,” she added, “but when nothing has modified of their nation, individuals shouldn’t be claiming asylum on the finish of a pupil course.”Whereas the political focus this summer time has been on individuals arriving on small boats, the same quantity arrive legally with visas, then apply for asylum typically when these visas run out.Many of those claims are official, however ministers are nervous that too many worldwide college students are looking for asylum merely to remain within the nation as a result of their go away to stay has run out.Within the yr to June 2025, 43,600 individuals looking for asylum arrived on a small boat – 39% of all asylum claims, in keeping with Dwelling Workplace knowledge, exterior.One other 41,100 asylum claims got here from individuals who entered legally with a visa, the division mentioned, with the most important group amongst visa holders being college students.Final yr, 16,000 asylum claims got here from those that arrived on pupil visas, almost six occasions as many as in 2020, it mentioned.Since then, Dwelling Workplace knowledge reveals there was a drop of 10%, however ministers within the division need the figures to fall additional.Cooper mentioned regardless of pupil claims making up simply over 10% of the whole claims, the federal government should “sort out each single bit” of the system to repair it.The variety of individuals on expert employee visas being granted asylum has additionally fallen, in keeping with the division.Earlier this yr, the Dwelling Workplace introduced a lower within the period of time abroad graduates can keep within the UK after their research – from two years to 18 months.