UK to Deport Nigerians and Other Students Who Overstay Visas

The United Kingdom has issued a stern warning to Nigerians and other international students, stating that anyone who overstays their visa will face deportation.

In an unprecedented move, the UK Home Office has begun sending direct warnings via text messages and emails to affected individuals.

So far, about 10,000 students with visas nearing expiration have received these notices, with tens of thousands more expected to 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,” one of the Home Office messages stated.

The agency further emphasized that asylum applications deemed “lacking merit” would be swiftly rejected.

This initiative follows a surge in asylum claims filed by students who entered the UK legally but later overstayed their visas. Between July 2024 and June 2025, approximately 41,100 asylum applications were submitted, with students making up the largest proportion.

In 2024 alone, 16,000 international students applied for asylum—nearly six times higher than the figure in 2020. Although the numbers have since dropped by about 10%, authorities say they are pushing for further reductions.

The Home Office also reported fewer asylum claims from skilled worker visa holders. Earlier this year, it shortened the post-study work period for graduates from two years to 18 months.

Nigerian students currently rank third among international entrants to UK universities, after India and China, with around 34,500 new students.

Overall, the UK hosted 732,285 international students in higher education last year, 656,795 of whom came from outside the EU.

For that period, Nigerians received 35,331 study visas, making them one of the fastest-growing groups. Graduate route (post-study) visa grants for Nigerians surged by 121.8% compared to the previous year.

Additionally, up to June 2025, 4,041 Nigerian nationals were granted visa extensions under the study route, placing them among the top three nationalities in that category.