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The UK government is considering restricting visa applications from countries with high rates of overstaying and asylum claims, in a bid to crack down on abuse of the immigration system. According to a report by The Times, nationals from countries like Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka could face tighter entry rules for work and study visas.
Ministers are concerned about individuals who enter the UK on legitimate student or work visas but later apply for asylum, enabling them to stay permanently if successful. The Home Office has not published detailed visa exit data since 2020, making it unclear which nationalities are overstaying most frequently.
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the upcoming Immigration White Paper, expected later in May, will outline a comprehensive reform plan, saying:
“We are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster… Where trends undermine immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action.”
Professor Jonathan Portes, from the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, told BBC Radio 4 that such restrictions may have limited effect on overall numbers but are aimed at deterring “abusive” asylum claims from people switching visa categories.
Latest government data shows that 99,790 people claimed asylum in the UK in the year ending September 2024, with Pakistan nationals accounting for 9,560 claims—the highest of any nationality.
Meanwhile, the number of international students reached over 732,000, with most coming from India and China.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to reduce both illegal and legal migration but has avoided setting a net migration target. Pressure on the Labour government to act has grown after the Reform UK party’s strong performance in recent local elections.
The previous Conservative government had already raised the minimum salary threshold for skilled migrants and banned care workers from bringing dependants, moves that contributed to a recent drop in net migration—from a record 906,000 in June 2023 to 728,000 in June 2024.
Further immigration reforms are expected to be detailed in the forthcoming white paper.
