Some UK universities have stopped accepting applications from students based in Afghanistan while others have imposed tighter restrictions amid growing concerns that the ÌÇÐÄVlog Office will revoke licences for institutions engaged in ¡°risky¡± recruitment.

Bournemouth University and the University of Buckingham were among the institutions to have suspended applications from Afghan students hoping to study in the UK, with an increase in visa refusals cited as part of the reason.

A Bournemouth spokesperson said it had taken ¡°this difficult decision to ensure we continue to uphold our responsibility to the UK ÌÇÐÄVlog Office as an approved sponsor for student visas¡±.

¡°Every year we welcome students from all around the world but the UK has seen an increasing number of applicants from Iran and Afghanistan being refused visas, so we have suspended applications from these countries at this time,¡± they added.

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While still accepting applications from people based in Afghanistan, Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has put a deadline in place by which they must meet all the conditions of their offer, writing on its website: ¡°In previous years, students resident in Afghanistan have experienced extensive wait times from the UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) services.

¡°This often means students are unable to arrive in time for the start of their course at NTU and must defer to the next intake.¡±

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Universities have also paused recruitment from other countries recently, including Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Earlier this year, the government?moved to tighten international student visa compliance metrics, meaning, when the new regulations come into force, universities are more likely to be penalised if too many international students¡¯ visas are refused, they don¡¯t enrol in their course or they drop out part way through.

Students who go on to claim asylum in the UK?could also damage a university¡¯s metrics?as the government attempts to bring down the number of individuals who enter the UK on study visas and then go on to claim asylum.

This has led institutions to?review recruitment from countries seen as risker.

¡°UKVI has positioned higher education institutions as proxy border police, where their Highly Trusted Sponsor status depends upon demonstrating vague compliance criteria which have been interpreted and enacted variously across the sector,¡± said Jenna Mittelmeier, senior lecturer in international education at the University of Manchester.?

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¡°Coupled with the sector¡¯s dire financial situation and over-reliance on international students¡¯ fees, this encourages universities to unjustly monitor international students through suspicion and surveillance out of fear of losing their sponsor status.¡±

Over 8,000 Afghans claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending June 2025, the second-largest group by nationality after Pakistan. Of these, 1,000 already held a visa of some form.

There are concerns about what happens to Afghans after they have studied abroad, as it may not be safe to return to the country, particularly for women given the?Taliban¡¯s ban on female university education.

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¡°Seeking asylum after entering the country on a student visa is a legal and human right, despite the government¡¯s attempts to make this route more hostile,¡± said Mittelmeier. ¡°By altering recruitment practices despite their humanitarian toll, universities contribute to further legitimising anti-migrant discourses and policies.¡±

While other universities continue to accept students from countries seen as higher risk, some have imposed additional restrictions.

At Middlesex University, for example, students from India and Bangladesh are not permitted to apply to the university¡¯s pre-sessional and international foundation courses.

A university web page aimed at students from India says: ¡°As part of the current Student route (formerly tier 4) visa regime, prospective students face robust questions about their destination, limits on their ability to work and tighter rules on their English-language capability.

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¡°Due to these constraints, we are currently not accepting applicants from India to our Pre-Sessional and International Foundation courses until further notice.¡±

The University of Buckingham?declined to comment.

helen.packer@timeshighereducation.com