Potential Visa Restrictions for Select Nationalities Amid Government Plans to Curb Asylum Abuse:
The UK government is reportedly considering tightening visa policies for certain nationalities perceived to have higher risks of overstaying and subsequently seeking asylum. According to The Times, the new measures, led by the Home Office, could affect nationals from countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka, making it more challenging for them to obtain work and study visas.
Officials are concerned that a number of individuals who enter the UK legally on student or work visas later switch to asylum claims, potentially leading to permanent residency. A spokesperson from the Home Office stated, “Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will outline a comprehensive strategy to restore control over our immigration system.”
It remains unclear which nationalities are most prone to overstaying, as the government has not released exit check data since 2020, citing an ongoing review into the accuracy of those figures. Furthermore, not all departures are officially recorded, meaning a lack of exit data does not necessarily indicate someone remains in the UK illegally.
Professor Jonathan Portes, a senior fellow at the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, commented on the proposed policy changes, suggesting their actual impact on asylum numbers may be limited. Speaking to BBC Radio 4, he said, “The main goal is not to drastically cut overall numbers but to reduce asylum claims that are perceived as system abuse — such as when a person enters as a student and quickly applies for asylum.”
Recent Home Office statistics reveal that over 108,000 asylum claims were lodged in the UK in the past year — the highest since records began in 1979. Pakistani nationals accounted for 10,542 applications, the most from any single country, followed by Sri Lanka (2,862) and Nigeria (2,841).
The 2023/24 figures also show there were 732,285 international students in the UK, with India (107,480) and China (98,400) leading in student numbers. However, both work and study visas have seen a decline in 2024 compared to the previous year.
Since taking office, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to lower both legal and illegal immigration but has refrained from setting a specific net migration target, calling such figures “arbitrary and ineffective.” Labour’s broader immigration strategy includes criminalizing actions that endanger lives at sea (particularly targeting small boat crossings) and reducing the UK’s dependency on overseas labor by strengthening domestic workforce training.
Sir Keir has also criticized the previous Conservative government’s immigration policies, arguing they failed to reduce net migration by design. Net migration peaked at 906,000 in the year to June 2023 and later declined to 728,000 by June 2024 — partly attributed to tighter rules introduced under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. These changes included raising the salary threshold for skilled worker visas from £26,200 to £38,700 and restricting care workers from bringing dependants.
Meanwhile, political pressure for immigration reform continues to mount. The recent success of Reform UK in local elections — winning 677 of approximately 1,600 contested seats — may push Labour to move more decisively. Reform UK’s platform advocates for a freeze on non-essential immigration, with exceptions for critical sectors like healthcare.
In response to the results, Sir Keir acknowledged public frustration, pledging to “go further and faster” in fulfilling Labour’s commitments on immigration and public services.
Commenting on the asylum aspect of the policy, Enver Solomon, CEO of the Refugee Council, emphasized that some individuals may have legitimate safety concerns due to changing political situations in their home countries. He stressed the importance of ensuring such individuals are protected and receive a fair assessment.
While discussions on curbing visa overstays were underway before the local elections, full details are expected in the forthcoming Immigration White Paper, due to be released later in May.
A Home Office spokesperson reiterated: “To prevent abuse by those arriving on work and study visas who later claim asylum, we are enhancing our intelligence-gathering to identify these patterns early. We continuously review the visa system and are prepared to act when trends suggest misuse. Our White Paper will present a robust strategy to fix our broken immigration system.”
