‘If you don’t leave, we’ll remove you’ — UK warns foreign students against overstaying visas

The UK Home Office says international students who overstay their visas risk deportation.

As part of a new campaign, the government has begun contacting students directly by text and email — the first time such a measure is being deployed.

The BBC reports that about 10,000 students, whose visas are due to expire, have received the messages, while tens of thousands more will be contacted in the coming months.

“If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don’t, we will remove you,” the Home Office message reads.

It also warns that asylum claims “lacking merit” will be swiftly refused.

The initiative follows what ministers described as an “alarming” rise in students applying for asylum after their visas expire.

Data from the Home Office shows that between July 2024 to June 2025, 41,100 asylum claims were lodged by people who entered the UK legally on visas, with students making up the largest group.

In 2024, 16,000 asylum claims were filed by international students, nearly six times the figure recorded in 2020. Although the number has since dropped by about 10 percent, ministers say they want to see a further decline.

The department also noted a fall in asylum claims among skilled worker visa holders.

Earlier this year, the UK cut the length of time foreign graduates can remain in the country after completing their studies, from two years to 18 months.