UK visa crackdown to target Pakistanis, Nigerians among others for overstaying risk

The United Kingdom’s Home Office is planning to restrict visa applications to some foreign nationals in anticipation of their overstaying and seeking asylum.

According to a report by The Times, Britain will make it harder for people from Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka to obtain work and study visas as the Home Office cracks down on the abuse of the system.

The measures are expected to be unveiled as part of a broader strategy to stop work and study visas from serving as an indirect route into the UK’s asylum system. They will be included in the government’s upcoming Immigration White Paper, set for release next week, which will outline Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s approach to cutting net migration—a figure that reached 728,000 last year.

How will the new system work?

Under the new system, officials will be instructed to use the bank statements of applicants as a means to reject their claims that they are destitute and need to be accommodated in hotels that are paid for by taxpayers.

The plan also includes reforms like forcing foreign graduates to leave the UK, barring students who pursue graduate-level jobs that will be guaged by skills rather than salaries.

The restrictions are expected to trigger opposition from the affected countries, which may view them as discriminatory. Legal experts have indicated that the measure could face legal challenges in court due to its perceived unfairness.

How is immigration a problem in UK?

In 2024, the UK lodged 40,000 asylum claims from people who held the country’s visa, while  35,000 asylum applications were from migrants who arrived in boats.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper intends to implement measures that would prevent migrants who arrived in the UK on work or study visas from accessing taxpayer-funded accommodation.

Asylum seekers are eligible for accommodation and other financial support if they are destitute or at risk of becoming so. However, those on work and study visas are required to demonstrate they have enough financial resources to support themselves during their stay in the UK.

Earlier this year, Britain’s Labour government said it had removed 16,400 illegal migrants since coming to power in July, marking the highest rate of such removals since 2018.

With inputs from agencies