UK Government Plans Visa Restrictions to Curb Asylum Claims
The UK government is set to introduce stricter visa regulations targeting nationalities deemed likely to overstay and seek asylum, according to Home Office proposals reported by The Times. Countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka may face increased barriers to obtaining work and study visas.The initiative aims to address the issue of individuals entering the UK legally on temporary visas and subsequently applying for asylum, which, if granted, permits permanent residency. A Home Office spokesperson stated, "Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will outline a robust strategy to fix our flawed immigration system."
Data on visa overstays is limited, as the Home Office has not released exit check statistics since 2020 due to concerns over accuracy. Unrecorded exits further complicate tracking, meaning some individuals without departure records may have left the country.
Professor Jonathan Portes from UK in a Changing Europe suggested that visa restrictions would likely have a minimal impact on overall asylum applications. He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “The goal is to curb perceived abuses, like students quickly switching to asylum claims, rather than significantly reducing numbers.”
Since taking office, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has pledged to lower both legal and illegal migration without setting a specific net migration target, dismissing “arbitrary caps” as ineffective. Labour’s broader migration strategy includes criminalizing dangerous small boat crossings and boosting domestic training to reduce reliance on foreign workers.
Starmer has accused the previous Conservative government of deliberately failing to control migration. Net migration reached a peak of 906,000 in the year to June 2023, dropping to 728,000 by June 2024, partly due to measures introduced by former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. These included raising the minimum salary for skilled overseas workers to £38,700 and prohibiting care workers from bringing family dependents.
Pressure on Labour to reform immigration has intensified following Reform UK’s gains in recent local elections, securing 677 of 1,600 contested seats. Reform’s manifesto advocates for a freeze on non-essential immigration, except for critical sectors like healthcare.
In response to voter frustration, Starmer emphasized his commitment to accelerating Labour’s immigration and public service reforms. The Home Office is already enhancing intelligence to identify potential asylum abuse early and vows to act swiftly against trends undermining visa rules.
Full details of the government’s plans will be revealed in the Immigration White Paper expected later this month.
