PETITIONRejectedPetition · petition.parliament.uk
Reinstate Student Visas for Afghans
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmoud paused student visas for Afghans on 4 March, 2026. This must be reversed.
Last fetched 03 May 2026 · petition.parliament.uk
Signatures
14
signatures
Government response threshold (10,000) · 14/10,000
Debate threshold (100,000) · 14/100,000
Background
Banning one of the only legal routes left for Afghan asylum seekers is cruel. The UK had direct involvement in enabling the Taliban's takeover by irresponsibly withdrawing its troops in August 2021. Afghan women, especially, deserve the right to apply for their education in the UK as they have not been able to work or study since the Taliban's takeover. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has formally referred to Afghanistan as undergoing "gender-based apartheid".