The UK government has launched a crackdown on international students who remain in the country after their visas expire, following similar measures targeting asylum seekers.

According to British media, the Home Office has sent thousands of warning emails and text messages to students nearing the end of their visas, cautioning that overstaying will lead to deportation.

Officials stated that the move comes in response to a sharp rise in asylum applications from former students whose visas had lapsed. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper highlighted that asylum claims were being filed even by students from countries where no major changes in circumstances had occurred.

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Reports revealed that in the past year, nearly 14,800 asylum requests were submitted by individuals who originally entered the UK on student visas. Among them, Pakistani students led the list with 5,700 applications, followed by students from India, Bangladesh, and Nigeria.

The crackdown comes just a day after the UK government temporarily suspended new applications for refugee family reunification. The Home Secretary clarified that, for now, asylum seekers will not be allowed to submit fresh requests to bring their families to Britain.