In a bid to curb rising cases of visa abuse among international students, the UK government on Thursday said universities will be stripped of the right to recruit international students if too many students drop out.

The UK government, in a statement on its website, said its new sponsorship rules will introduce sanctions for universities and other higher education institutions that fail to recruit responsibly.

This move, the UK government said, comes “after asylum claims from work, study and tourist visas more than tripled under the previous government – reaching 37% of all claims, with foreign students accounting for the largest share.”

In a separate post on X on Thursday, the UK Home Office said “Universities face being banned from recruiting international students over visa abuse. Under new rules, course completion rates must reach at least 90% or universities will face penalties. High drop-out rates can indicate entering the illegal working economy.”

It added, “Visa refusal rates must be below 5%. Course enrolment rates must be at least 95%. Course completion rates must be at least 90%.”

Mike Tapp, Minister for Migration and Citizenship, said “The UK will always welcome genuine international students, and our universities are rightly admired around the world. But our visa system must not be used as a backdoor to asylum and illegal working. Student asylum claims are down 30% in the last year. I thank the sector for their co-operation in achieving this, but we must go further.”

He added, “Those seeking to game the system should know we are watching – and won’t hesitate to act.”

Meanwhile, the UK Home Secretary has slammed a first-of-its-kind visa brake on study visas for nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan following a surge in asylum claims.