Students challenge Mahmood’s visa ban on overseas applicants

Study visas for people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan were halted in March by home secretary Shabana Mahmood, who claimed some were exploiting the asylum system Three Sudanese students are challenging the Home Office’s ban on certain visas for foreign nationals from four countries in the courts. Home secretary Shabana Mahmood halted study visas for people from Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan in March, accusing some of exploiting the system by using it as a gateway to enter the UK before later claiming asylum. The drastic measure drew criticism from the university sector, with the vice chancellor of the University of Sussex, Sasha Roseneil, saying the move had profound consequences “for the UK’s global reputation and soft power”.

Now, three Sudanese women in their twenties, supported by law firm Duncan Lewis, are seeking to bring a legal challenge at the High Court to overturn the ban. They will argue that the way the Home Office selected the nationalities to ban is flawed, and that officials failed to properly investigate whether widespread visa abuse was occurring before they imposed a blanket ban. Two of the women are doctors and one is a pharmacist.

They had offers to study masters at Oxford University and University College London (UCL) in Digital Health, International Health and Tropical Medicine, and Public Health. One of the women, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that the legal challenge was about ensuring “fairness”. She explained: “When I received my offer from Oxford, I saw it as an opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills needed to help rebuild health systems in a country long devastated by war.

“As a Sudanese doctor with an established international career, I have spent years working on reproductive health and supporting communities affected by displacement. The idea that I am now being treated as a potential abuser of the immigration system, simply because of my nationality, is deeply painful. She added: “Sudan has already lost universities, hospitals, and countless opportunities to this war.

Many of us have lost friends, family members, and any sense of normality. Education is one of the few remaining pathways available to young Sudanese who want to contribute, lead, and help rebuild our country. This policy does not just affect visa applications; it risks taking away the future of a generation that has already lost so much.

Announcing the ban in March, the Home Office said they needed to “protect UK border security from these unsustainable levels of visa-linked asylum claims”, saying that students who arrive in the UK were going on to claim asylum. The Home Office estimated that the 18-month ban would impact 4,300 students from the four countries.