The United Kingdom has suspended the issuance of certain student visas for Cameroonian nationals as part of a wider immigration crackdown targeting four countries, British authorities have confirmed.
The measure, described as a “visa brake”, will come into force at 00:01 on 26 March 2026 and will affect applications under the sponsored study route, according to information published by the British High Commission in Cameroon and the UK Home Office.
Cameroon is among four countries affected by the policy alongside Afghanistan, Myanmar and Sudan. Britain has also suspended skilled worker visas for Afghan nationals under the same decision.
British authorities say the move follows a sharp rise in asylum requests from students arriving from the four countries. Official figures cited by the UK government show that asylum applications from students of these nationalities increased by 470 per cent between 2021 and 2025. Overall, nearly 133,760 asylum seekers entered the United Kingdom through legal routes during the same period, according to Home Office statistics.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the government was acting to prevent abuse of the visa system.
“Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” Mahmood said in a statement.
She added: “That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas from those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity. I will restore order and control to our borders.”
British authorities also cited the financial pressure linked to asylum support, which they say costs taxpayers more than £4 billion annually.
Cameroon affected
For Cameroon, the decision means that applications submitted after the 26 March deadline under the sponsored study visa route will be refused. The British High Commission in Yaoundé did not indicate how long the measure will remain in place.
Thomas Ngoue, a Cambridge English teacher, said the decision follows growing concerns about asylum requests made by students after arriving in Britain.
According to Ngoue, statistics suggest that nationals from Cameroon and the other targeted countries are among the most likely to request asylum after entering the UK with study visas.
The measure forms part of a broader effort by the British government led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to tighten immigration rules. Recent reforms to the UK asylum system include limiting refugee status for new applicants to 30 months instead of the previous five years, with renewal required afterward.
Other proposed measures under discussion in Parliament would require recognised refugees to wait up to 20 years before becoming eligible for permanent residence. Asylum claims in the United Kingdom reached 108,138 in 2024, the highest level on record, before dropping slightly to 100,625 in 2025.
Mixed reactions
The announcement has triggered mixed reactions among Cameroonians. Some prospective students expressed concern that legitimate applicants could be affected by the decision. Others criticised the alleged misuse of student visas. One student reacting online wrote sarcastically: “Cameroonians have ruined the study visa. How can you go to the UK to study and start asking for asylum?”
Mercy Fosoh