UK to impose 'unprecedented' visa ban in asylum crackdown
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The government will halt visa routes for nationals from four countries who the home secretary says have "abused" the UK's generosity.
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UK to impose 'unprecedented' visa ban in asylum crackdown Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has claimed a growing number of migrants from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan are using legal migration routes as a backdoor for claiming asylum. Wednesday 4 March 2026 00:17, UK Why you can trust Sky News The government will halt visa routes for nationals from four countries who the home secretary says have "abused" the UK's generosity. An emergency brake is being placed on study visas for people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan, while work visas have also been stopped for Afghans. It's the first time such visa bans have been implemented by the UK government. Shabana Mahmood claimed a growing number of migrants from these countries are using legal migration routes as a backdoor for claiming asylum . According to Home Office figures, 39% of the 100,000 who claimed asylum in 2025 did so after arriving via a legal migration route. A spike in asylum applications between 2021 and September last year was dominated by students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. Ms Mahmood said: "Britain will always provide refuge to people fleeing war and persecution, but 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." 3:38 Share Community's concern over plans for asylum seekers The bans will be officially introduced on Thursday, when Ms Mahmood will lay out measures to toughen up the asylum system. They would include asylum seekers having to have their refugee status reviewed every two-and-a-half years . Refugees whose countries are deemed safe will also be expected to return home. Can the Denmark model save Labour's bacon? Shabana Mahmood is a long-term admirer of how Denmark deals with asylum and immigration, and has visited since becoming home secretary. Denmark's tough stance on asylum seekers began in the mid-2010s, when Mette Frederiksen was in oppos...
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