New Delhi: After Trump extended travel restrictions to Pakistan in March targeting illegal immigration, the UK is following suit. The Labour government under Keir Starmer plans to introduce tougher immigration rules, targeting nationals from countries considered “high-risk” for overstaying visas or converting legal stays into asylum claims. The upcoming Immigration White Paper, expected next week, outlines measures to restrict work and study visa applications from Pakistan, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and other countries with high asylum claim rates, The Times reported.
According to the report, one case cited by officials involved a Pakistani student who overstayed his visa and was granted asylum despite having been convicted for sexual assault.
As part of the plan, immigration officials are being directed to crack down on applicants who use fraudulent bank documents to falsely appear destitute and secure taxpayer-funded accommodation, such as hotel stays.
Under the proposed changes, visa applicants from so-called “high-risk” countries could face outright rejections if they match profiles deemed likely to overstay or claim asylum.
In 2024, over 40,000 asylum claims were reportedly filed by individuals who initially entered the UK on work or study visas. Among these, nearly 10,000 individuals were accommodated in taxpayer-funded housing. The Home Office aims to prevent what it describes as a “backdoor route” into the asylum system by tightening visa issuance and increasing scrutiny of applicants from these high-risk nations.
The proposed reforms include rejecting visa applications from individuals who fit profiles commonly associated with asylum seekers and denying taxpayer-funded accommodation to those who arrived on work or study visas. Additionally, a new model developed with the National Crime Agency will flag suspicious applications, such as students who fail to attend classes or have links to people smugglers.
The government’s stance is that the immigration system is being abused, undermining genuine migrants.
According to a Guardian report, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper stated, “We are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster”. The Labour government’s approach follows significant losses to the Reform UK party in recent local elections, prompting a reevaluation of immigration policies.
The upcoming Immigration White Paper, expected by mid-May, will outline new measures aimed at reducing the number of UK student visa holders who go on to claim asylum, according to sources familiar with the plans, says the Guardian report. The government is currently finalising proposals to curb legal migration and address what it sees as misuse of the visa system.
The report further stated that Home Office data from March revealed that out of 108,000 asylum claims made in 2024, 16,000 were submitted by individuals initially admitted on student visas.
UK ministers are reportedly also considering new restrictions to prevent international students from remaining in the country by taking up low-wage jobs—a move expected to face pushback from the Department for Education and universities, which heavily depend on tuition fees from overseas students, the Guardian report mentions.
Jo White, Labour MP for Bassetlaw and founder of the party’s Red Wall caucus, also asked the government to take a tougher stance on immigration by taking “a leaf out of President Trump’s book”.
(Edited by Zinnia Ray Chaudhuri)
Pakistanis must be banned in developed nations. They go there to beg and indulge in Jihadi terrorism.
The sooner the world wakes up to this threat, the better.