The Government will launch an unprecedented campaign warning international students they must leave the UK when their visas expire, according to the BBC. The Home Office will contact students and their families directly for the first time, targeting those who might claim asylum without legitimate grounds.
The text and email initiative represents the latest step in ministers' efforts to tackle migration numbers. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper (Labour) has revealed that the first returns of migrants who crossed the Channel will begin later this month as part of the Government's broader crackdown.
Warning message to students
The full message being sent to international students will reportedly state harsh consequences for unfounded asylum claims. According to the BBC, students will receive this warning: "If you submit an asylum claim that lacks merit, it will be swiftly and robustly refused. Any request for asylum support will be assessed against destitution criteria. If you do not meet the criteria, you will not receive support. If you have no legal right to remain in the UK, you must leave. If you don't, we will remove you."
Wider migration measures
Cooper told the Commons that a "one in, one out" pilot scheme agreed with France will see the UK send back Channel migrants in exchange for approved applicants. The Home Secretary also announced that new applications to the existing refugee family reunion route will be suspended this week, with refugees subject to "the same family migration rules and conditions as everyone else" until new rules are introduced.
Further reforms to family reunion routes will be outlined later this year and implemented by spring. These changes follow a summer of unrest over how ministers have handled the small boats crisis.
Asylum hotel commitments
Prime Minister Keir Starmer (Labour) said he wants to accelerate efforts to empty asylum hotels, acknowledging public concerns following recent demonstrations. The Government has committed to empty all hotels currently housing migrants by the end of Parliament, which could be as late as 2029, but Starmer suggested he wanted to "bring that forward" without committing to a specific date.
The Bell Hotel in Epping, Essex, became the focal point of several protests after an asylum seeker housed there was charged with sexually assaulting a teenage girl last month. The asylum seeker has denied the charges.
Sources used: "BBC", "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
