UK to tighten study, work visa rules amid Pakistan-led asylum surge

The UK government has said it is building intelligence on foreign nationals who abuse study and work visa grants to later claim asylum, with Pakistani nationals leading the trend, according to a report by The Times.

 

A Home Office spokesperson said: “To tackle abuse by foreign nationals who arrive on work and study visas and go on to claim asylum, we are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster,” the BBC reported.

 

“We keep the visa system under constant review and where we detect trends, which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action. Under our plan for change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” the spokesperson added.

 

 

Rise in asylum claims from Pakistani nationals

 

UK Home Office data shows asylum claims by Pakistani nationals rose 79 per cent in the past year, reaching 10,542 claims—the highest among all nationalities.

 

The government has not yet disclosed full details of the crackdown, with more expected to be outlined in the Immigration White Paper later this month. 

 

Labour’s proposals include rejecting visas for individuals fitting the profile of those who may later claim asylum, particularly from countries with high asylum claim rates.

 

Officials also plan to use bank statements provided during visa applications to reject claims that applicants are destitute and in need of taxpayer-funded accommodation such as hotels.

 

The moves are understood to form part of a broader strategy to prevent the abuse of work and study routes as a pathway into the asylum system.

 

Record asylum figures

 

Home Office figures show that more than 108,000 people claimed asylum in the UK last year—the highest since records began in 1979.

 

10,542 Pakistani nationals claimed asylum

2,862 Sri Lankan nationals claimed asylum

2,841 Nigerian nationals claimed asylum

 

The figures also revealed that 732,285 international students were present in the UK during 2023/24, with India (107,480 students) and China (98,400 students) providing the highest numbers.

 

Among asylum grants, Indian nationals represented only 1 per cent. In contrast:

 

53 per cent of Pakistani and Afghan asylum claims were granted

64 per cent of Iranian claims were granted

98 per cent of Syrian claims were granted

87 per cent of Eritrean claims were granted

99 per cent of Sudanese claims were granted

 

Under UK law, individuals seeking asylum who would otherwise be destitute are eligible for support under sections 98 and 95 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

 

The “destitution threshold” is defined as the minimum needed to secure adequate accommodation and meet essential needs.

 

Drop in work and study visas

 

The number of UK work and study visas issued in 2024 fell compared to the previous year.

 

Since taking office last year, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has promised to lower both illegal and legal migration, although he has declined to set a net migration target, arguing that "an arbitrary cap" had no meaningful impact in the past.

 

Labour’s plans to manage migration include:

 

Creating criminal offences for endangering lives at sea

Developing sector-specific training plans to reduce reliance on foreign workers

Preventing work and study visas being used to access asylum

 

Sir Keir has accused the former Conservative government of failing to control net migration "by design, not accident".

 

Net migration figures showed:

 

906,000 in the year to June 2023

728,000 in the year to June 2024

 

New immigration rules brought in under former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, including raising the salary threshold for skilled migrants from £26,200 to £38,700 and restricting family dependants of care workers, have been credited with the fall.

 

Pressure on Labour after Reform UK gains

 

Labour faces growing pressure after Reform UK's strong performance in local elections, where it secured 677 seats out of around 1,600 contested mainly in Conservative areas.

 

Reform has pledged to freeze non-essential immigration if it wins power, with exceptions made for critical skills like healthcare.

 

Following the election results, Sir Keir said he shared the "sharp edge of fury" felt by voters moving away from the major parties and promised to “go further and faster” on immigration reforms.

 

Crackdown on sexual offenders and fake immigration advisers

 

Separately, the UK government last week announced new amendments to the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill.

 

Under the changes:

 

< Foreign nationals convicted of sexual offences will be banned from seeking asylum in the UK

< Fake immigration advisers will face tougher penalties

< The use of hotels to house asylum seekers will be phased out

 

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a press release: “Sex offenders who pose a risk to the community should not be allowed to benefit from refugee protections in the UK.”

 

She added: “Nor should asylum seekers be stuck in hotels at the taxpayers' expense during lengthy legal battles. That is why we are changing the law to help clear the backlog.”

 

The Bill strengthens the Immigration Advice Authority’s powers, allowing it to fine unregistered advisers up to £15,000 and prosecute them.

 

The Home Office warned that unauthorised advisers often mislead migrants by offering fraudulent services.

 

Artificial intelligence will be rolled out to help caseworkers process asylum claims faster.

 

Officials said the technology will support quicker decision-making, helping to move people out of taxpayer-funded accommodation more swiftly, whether their claims are accepted or rejected.

 

The AI rollout is part of a broader government effort to digitise public services, led by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with an aim to save up to £45 billion in productivity costs, it said in the release.