Britain’s Home Office said on Wednesday it would refuse student visas to Cameroonian nationals starting March 26, 2026. Cameroon is one of four countries affected by the measure, alongside Afghanistan, Sudan and Myanmar, under a policy described as an “emergency brake” on student visas.
British authorities said the decision followed “abuses” by applicants from those countries who enter the United Kingdom on student visas before filing asylum claims. “Our visa system must not be abused. That is why I am taking the unprecedented decision to refuse visas for those nationals seeking to exploit our generosity,” Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said.
Policy to curb immigration
The measure specifically targets the practice of switching from student status to an asylum claim, which the Home Office says misuses legal migration pathways.
More broadly, the announcement forms part of a wider effort to control migration. Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s center-left government says the asylum system is under heavy pressure, with 108,138 applications recorded in 2024, a recent record, followed by 100,625 in 2025.
The Home Office said asylum claims filed by Cameroonian and Sudanese students have more than quadrupled since 2021. British officials cited by the press also pointed to a sharp rise in asylum claims from people who entered the country through legal channels, including student visas.
Ludovic Amara