Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Visa Brake: Chevening Scholars

Monday 23 March 2026 · 2 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 1 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial discussions have taken place on the potential impact of the visa brake on Chevening scholars.
  • Chevening scholarships are intended to continue attracting and supporting exceptional future leaders globally.
  • The government emphasizes the need for order and control in the visa system, citing high asylum claims among Afghan students as a reason for the visa brake.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Siân Berry Green Brighton Pavilion
Immigration Benefits & Welfare
Context

Discussions about the visa brake's potential impact on Chevening scholars, a programme supporting exceptional future leaders globally.

Question

What discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the introduction of the visa brake on Chevening scholars. Chevening scholarships continue to attract and support exceptional future leaders across the globe, but introducing the visa brake raises concerns about its impact.

Answer from Mike Tapp

We have discussed the introduction of visa brakes across Government, including the impact on Chevening scholars. Chevening scholarships continue to attract and support exceptional future leaders across the globe, and will continue to do so. Restoring order and control to our system is a top priority. Through the visa brake we are acting quickly and decisively to address high numbers and proportions of visa-linked asylum claims.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific impact on Chevening scholars not addressed

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Q2 Siân Berry Green Brighton Pavilion
Immigration Women & Equalities
Context

Concerns raised about the impact of including prestigious Chevening scholarships in the Government's clampdown on certain study visas, particularly affecting students from Afghanistan.

Question

Including prestigious Chevening scholarships in the Government's clampdown on certain study visas is devastating for those who have been shortlisted, including students who are set to join our world-leading programmes at Sussex University. It raises questions about the value that the Government put on nurturing talent, particularly for women from Afghanistan, from whom I have seen heartbreaking accounts of terminated applications. Will the Minister and the Home Secretary urgently revisit that decision?

Answer from Mike Tapp

I have laid out the concerns, and the reasons for this brake. For example, 93% of those coming over from Afghanistan as students are claiming asylum. The Green party may well want open borders; that is not what we stand for. We stand for control and order, but, at the same time, compassion. That is exactly why we are looking at safe and legal routes, while working to control the borders.

Not addressed: Decision to revisit including Chevening scholarships in visa clampdown not addressed

How: Changing Subject To Open Borders Stance, Raising Concerns About High Asylum Claims

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