ACAA Raises Concerns Over UK Visa ‘Emergency Brake’ for Afghans and Urges Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to Review the Decision

 Republished with permiasion from London-TV

  

The Afghanistan & Central Asian Association (ACAA), an award-winning UK-based refugee charity headquartered in London and the largest charity supporting Afghan and Central Asian communities in the United Kingdom, has expressed serious concern over Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s decision to impose an “emergency brake” on new student visa applications from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Sudan, and Myanmar.

The policy was introduced by the Home Office in response to concerns that some individuals entering the UK on student visas later apply for asylum. While ACAA recognises the UK government’s responsibility to maintain the integrity of the immigration system, the Charity warns that such measures risk unfairly impacting genuine applicants who are seeking lawful opportunities for education and professional development.

ACAA is particularly concerned that, while the suspension of student visas applies to all four countries, the government has chosen to suspend work visas specifically for Afghan nationals alone. The charity believes that singling out Afghans in this way is deeply troubling and risks further restricting already limited legal pathways for a population facing one of the most severe humanitarian crises in the world.

The suspension of student visas removes an essential route to higher education for thousands of qualified applicants. For young Afghans especially, access to education has already been severely restricted, particularly for women and girls who have been denied the right to secondary and higher education inside Afghanistan for almost five years under Taliban rule.

For many of these young people, the opportunity to study overseas represents one of the few remaining chances to pursue academic goals, build self-reliance, and secure long-term stability.

Darius Nasimi, Head of Funding and Partnerships at the Afghanistan & Central Asian Association, said:

Over the years, I have spoken with and supported many young people in Afghanistan whose greatest hope is simply to study. For many of them, studying abroad has been the last remaining pathway to education. Afghanistan is experiencing one of the most severe humanitarian and political crises in the world. Limiting access to legal visa routes risks closing doors for people who are trying to build a better future through education and lawful migration. 

We are particularly concerned that while the government has restricted student visas for several countries, it has chosen to suspend work visas specifically for Afghan nationals. Singling out Afghans in this way unfairly penalises a population already facing extraordinary hardship. As a society, we must do more to advocate for and challenge policies that risk closing one of the last doors still open to them. We respectfully ask the Home Secretary to review this decision and ensure that genuine Afghan applicants are not unfairly affected.

ACAA also emphasises that it remains supportive of constructive and humane migration policies. The Charity is grateful to the UK Government for offering sanctuary to over 37,000 Afghans through its two resettlement schemes since 2021, providing vital protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution.

The charity further welcomes the Government’s pledge to open new capped safe and legal routes as an alternative to dangerous small boat crossings, and would be interested in cooperating with the UK Government to support the development of effective and humane pathways.

At the same time, ACAA expresses concern over recent reductions in asylum-related spending. The Charity opposes Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood’s decision to cut £1 billion from the asylum support budget, warning that such reductions undermine the support systems needed for vulnerable people seeking protection.

ACAA continues to work closely with Afghan communities across the UK, providing integration support, advice services, education programmes, and humanitarian assistance. The Charity also operates projects inside Afghanistan delivering vital aid to vulnerable communities.

The charity calls on the UK Government to engage with civil society organisations, universities, and Afghan community groups to ensure that immigration policies safeguard both the integrity of the visa system and the opportunities available to those genuinely seeking education and safety.