UNITED KINGDOM - The UK will end study visas for students from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan. It will also halt work visas for Afghans.
But Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood was quick to emphasise that Britain will continue to offer refuge to those fleeing war.
Applications of students from these countries have risen more than 470% between 2021 and 2025.
The move comes amid rising anti-immigration sentiment under the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
Last May year, Minister Starmer vowed to "finally take back control" of Britain's borders as his government unveiled policies designed to reduce legal immigration and fend off rising support for the hard right.
The government's Immigration White Paper policy document included plans to cut overseas care workers and increase from five to 10 years the length of time people will have to live in UK before qualifying for settlement and citizenship.
English language rules will also be strengthened, with all adult dependents required to demonstrate a basic understanding, while the length of time students can stay in the UK after completing their studies will be reduced.
Starmer said the policies would "finally take back control of our borders", recalling the pro-Brexit slogan used at the height of the campaign to leave the European Union in 2016.