British institutions of higher learning may be prohibited from enrolling students from Nigeria and other countries overseas.

The United Kingdom has introduced stricter immigration rules, which may result in universities being stripped of their right to recruit international students if they fail to adhere to the new compliance standards, with the UK Home Office announcing the changes on Thursday.

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These new rules aim to curb the alleged abuse of the visa system, particularly through study, work, and tourist visa routes, which have been linked to a rise in asylum claims, according to the government.

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Under the revised framework, universities face the risk of losing their licence to recruit overseas students if more than five per cent of visa applications submitted by prospective students are refused, a significant decrease from the previous threshold of 10 per cent.

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The Home Office monitors both visa refusal rates and the institutions associated with unsuccessful applications, allowing authorities to identify universities that may not be conducting adequate checks on applicants.

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In addition to visa refusal rates, institutions will be assessed on student enrolment and course completion figures, with universities that fail to meet the new benchmarks potentially facing sanctions, including the loss of their ability to admit international students.

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Universities must now achieve a course enrolment rate of at least 95 per cent and a course completion rate of at least 90 per cent, increased from the previous thresholds of 90 per cent and 85 per cent respectively.

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The Home Office explained that the rationale behind these changes is that high drop-out rates can indicate students have entered the illegal working economy rather than studied, while high visa rejection rates or low enrolment figures suggest some institutions have not done enough due diligence on applicants.

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The measures follow earlier restrictions imposed by the UK government on study visa applications from nationals of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan, which were introduced after describing asylum claims linked to applicants from those countries as an “unsustainable threat”.

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According to the Home Office, asylum claims from international students have fallen by 30 per cent over the past year following stricter enforcement measures.

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The department has also contacted around 306,000 students whose visas are approaching expiry, warning them that unfounded asylum claims will be rejected and that individuals without legal permission to remain in the country must leave or face removal.

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These changes are part of the UK government’s broader efforts to tighten immigration controls while maintaining a credible and compliant international student visa system.