YANGON: Myanmar people view the suspension of United Kingdom (UK) student visas as racial discrimination against them. This has led to strong criticism, not only within educational circles but also among the general population of Myanmar, who see it as an unjust act.
As a consequence, there are analyses suggesting that the situation has reached a point where consideration should be given to whether the British Council, which has been established in Myanmar for UK education since around 1946, should also be closed.
"Economic sanctions and the like are typical actions taken by democratic governments. But this matter involves discriminating against and demeaning the Myanmar people. Furthermore, it goes against the objectives of the British Council. So, will the British Council even remain in Myanmar?" asked a veteran journalist.
"An action like this, in the education sector, by suspending student visas for Myanmar, shows an attitude towards Myanmar people that no previous British government has ever shown or done," the journalist added. "There are hundreds of thousands of students in Myanmar pursuing British education....Economic sanctions and other measures only concern the government. But this visa issue concerns the people. It concerns education. It concerns the lives of young people. Suspending this is utterly terrible," said a veteran journalist.
On March 4, the British Embassy in Yangon announced that "the UK government, aiming to protect the integrity of the UK immigration system, has implemented a temporary suspension of visas. From 00:01 (GMT) on March 26, 2026, student visa applications submitted by Myanmar nationals will no longer be accepted."
Although the British side stated that the suspension of student visa issuance was aimed at protecting the integrity of the UK immigration system, criticism is rising on social media that the number of asylum applications from Myanmar students in the UK is a negligible figure in the total official asylum application statistics, and that this suspension of visa issuance for Myanmar students is an act of demeaning and discriminatory treatment by the British government towards Myanmar.
"The UK is banning student visas for Myanmar students, citing asylum applications as an excuse. Read a little bit and check their statistics. In 2025, in the numbers of decisions made on asylum applications by nationalities in the UK, Myanmar wasn't even in the top ten. Yes, it did increase yearly, but due to whom? If only one person claimed before, and 10 people claim the next year, that's a 900% increase. To put it plainly, they're doing this because they want to, because it's Myanmar. They're doing it because they can," one person wrote on their social media page.
A social media user named Tun Htet Ye Yint has urged people to collectively sign a petition and submit information to the UK Home Office as a final hope to prevent the futures of students genuinely wishing to study in the UK from being lost.
Britain said the decision was made as the number of asylum seekers from these countries has been rising, with Home Secretary saying that some individuals are using legal immigration routes as a backdoor to seek asylum.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood said the UK would continue to provide protection for those fleeing conflict and persecution, but stressed that the visa system must not be misused. “The UK will always welcome people fleeing war and persecution, but our visa system must not be abused,” she said.
Following the British Embassy’s announcement that student visas for Myanmar applicants would be suspended, several social media users criticised the move. A user named Myat Thun commented that it was unfair to target Myanmar students, asking which of the three countries is seeking more refugees... Pakistan, India and Myanmar? and calling it shameful for an official in office to suppress Myanmar.
Another user, Tin Aung, pointed out that according to figures released by the UK Home Office in September 2025, more than 5,700 students from Pakistan had applied for asylum in the UK, accounting for about 40 per cent of the total number of foreign nationals seeking asylum.
He argued that Myanmar students make up only a small portion of asylum applicants and accused the Home Secretary, who is of Pakistani origin, of accepting asylum requests from Pakistan while suspending visas for Myanmar students, describing the policy as discriminatory rather than protective of UK interests.
Statistics from the UK Home Office’s 2025 immigration data also show that Myanmar is not among the top ten countries whose citizens seek asylum in the UK. Pakistan ranks first with 10,638 asylum seekers, followed by Eritrea, Iran, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Vietnam and Brazil.
The suspension of visas for Myanmar students has reportedly dashed the hopes of many students and parents who have invested years of time and resources in pursuing education at British universities. Many argue that Myanmar students are law-abiding, place great value on education and contribute positively to society, and that the visa suspension should not deny them educational opportunities.
In addition, a parent of a Myanmar student said the UK government’s visa restriction differs from the United States’ temporary suspension of visa applications. The parent suggested that instead of suspending student visas entirely, the restriction should focus only on preventing asylum applications under student visas.
“If someone applies for asylum through a student visa, simply do not grant asylum status. If necessary, introduce a policy not to grant asylum to those coming from Myanmar,” the parent said.
Meanwhile, US authorities have temporarily suspended the issuance of immigrant visas for applicants from 75 countries, including Myanmar, starting January 21, 2026. The suspension affects visa applicants from regions including Latin America, the Caribbean, the Balkans, South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
However, the policy applies only to those seeking permanent immigration to the United States and does not affect tourists or individuals holding short-term visas.
Former British Ambassador to Myanmar Vicky Bowman has criticised the United Kingdom’s decision to suspend student visas for Myanmar nationals, describing it as an inappropriate move in a post on her social media account.
Bowman, who served as the UK Ambassador to Myanmar from 2002 to 2005, pointed out that data on asylum applications by international students in the UK shows Myanmar students account for only a small proportion.
“Among international students who arrived in the UK, the figures for 2025 show that only 31 per cent—around 960—of Myanmar students studying in the UK applied for asylum, while the remaining 69 per cent did not,” she wrote.
She added that in the same year, a total of 10,350 students from South Asian countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka applied for asylum in the UK, more than ten times the number of applicants from Myanmar.
Bowman also noted that the sudden increase in asylum applications from Myanmar students was largely linked to the country’s conscription law enacted in 2024. She stressed that Myanmar students traveling to the UK are not illegal migrants who pay criminal gangs to enter the country in small boats, nor are they individuals abusing student visas to enter the UK unlawfully.
“Myanmar students pay high tuition fees to British schools and universities, effectively helping to subsidise UK students. They also pay around £1,000 (US$1,339) per year in health service charges. These students contribute not only to Myanmar’s future but also to the UK,” Bowman said, adding that students who meet the required criteria should continue to be granted visas.
Meanwhile, some analysts argue that the UK’s unilateral suspension of visas for Myanmar students represents unfair and discriminatory treatment toward both Myanmar and its students. They have suggested that the Myanmar government should consider reciprocal measures, such as suspending visas for British nationals working at the British Council Myanmar and closing the organisation’s office in the country.
The British Council, which is backed by the UK government, was established in 1934 and began operating in Myanmar in 1946.
The UK’s main engagement with Myanmar has largely been in the education sector, with the British Council administering UK-based examinations in the country. Estimates suggest the UK government earns hundreds of millions of pounds annually from education-related activities.
Trade relations between Myanmar and the UK have also declined in recent years. According to 2023 figures, bilateral trade fell to £237 million, a drop of 36.3 per cent compared with 2022.
Myanmar ranked 114th among the UK’s trading partners, accounting for only 0.1 per cent of total trade. At present, trade between the two countries remains minimal.
A veteran journalist said that the main engagement between Myanmar and the United Kingdom has largely been in the education and medical sectors, and that the suspension of student visas would effectively halt meaningful relations between the two countries. - Eleven Media/ANN
