The UK government has imposed an emergency brake on visas for nationals from four countries, including Afghan citizens, halting work visas as well.
The Guardian reports that the government has stopped study visas for nationals from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, and halted work visas for Afghans.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood described the move as unprecedented, aimed at preventing abuse of the visa system, with some migrants allegedly using legal migration routes to claim asylum.
Between 2021 and 2025, 39% of UK asylum claims came via legal routes such as study visas, with students from the four targeted countries accounting for much of the increase.
Mahmood had previously threatened a similar halt to all visas for Angola, Namibia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo in November, unless their governments agreed to take people back from the UK.
