Why are countries like Pakistan and Nigeria a potential target of the UK's new visa policy?

 

Why are countries like Pakistan and Nigeria a potential target of the UK's new visa policy?

 

The UK government’s new visa policy could see visa applications banned for nationalities who have sought asylum in the UK and overstayed their visas.

The Times reports that the UK Ministry of Defence is considering new plans that could make it harder for citizens of countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka to come to the UK on study or work visas.

Officials believe the biggest problem is people who come legally on work or study visas and then apply for asylum. If their asylum application is approved, they could stay in the UK permanently.

A Home Office spokesman says that our upcoming immigration white paper will set out a full plan to fix the broken immigration system.

It is currently unclear which nationalities remain in the UK after their visas have expired, as the Home Office has not published figures on visa holders leaving the country since 2020.

This is because a review is underway to assess the accuracy of these figures.

Most people who leave the UK are not recorded. This means that many people who have no record of leaving the UK are likely still living in the country.

Professor Jonathan Portes, senior research fellow at the UK in a Changing Europe research group at the University of London, said the impact of the visa restrictions on asylum applications would be “likely to be very modest”.

"I think this is not about reducing the overall numbers but about stopping asylum applications that are seen as an abuse of the system," he told BBC Radio 4.

"When someone comes to the UK on a student visa and immediately changes their status to refugee, that is an abuse of the system and that is what the government is trying to stop."

Which country has the most students coming to the UK on a student visa?

According to data from Universities UK, a government website that tracks international student enrolments at UK universities, the number of people coming to the UK on a student visa from different nationalities as of March 2024 is as follows:

India (116,455)

China (108,582)

Nigeria (35,331)

Pakistan (33,941)

USA (14,472)

Nepal (9,003)

Bangladesh (7,963)

Hong Kong (6,181)

Malaysia (6,111)

Saudi Arabia (5,594)

As can be seen in the chart above, the largest number of people coming to the UK on student visas between 2019 and 2023 were from India and Nigeria. However, the number of people coming from these two countries has decreased over the last two years.

The Labour Party was already under pressure to change the immigration system, but the pressure has increased after Reform UK’s victory in last week’s local elections.

The Reform Party won 677 seats out of nearly 1,600 in Thursday’s election. The elections were held mostly in constituencies previously held by the Conservative Party and which last voted in 2021.

The Reform Party announced in its general election manifesto that it would impose a complete ban on “non-essential immigration”. Only those with specific skills, such as in the health sector, would be allowed to come to the UK.

Reacting to the results, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he understood voters’ anger and frustration. He said it was this sentiment that would prompt him to implement quickly and effectively the reforms to immigration and public services that he promised during his campaign.

Plans were already underway ahead of the local elections to tackle the problem of people overstaying their visas.

The government’s full plan will be set out in a new ‘Immigration White Paper’ due to be published later this month.

A Home Office spokesman said: “We are collecting information about foreigners who come to the UK on work or study visas and then apply for asylum. Our aim is to identify them quickly and effectively to prevent abuse of the system.”

“We are constantly reviewing the visa system and take immediate action when we see any trends that could undermine immigration law.”

“Our forthcoming White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to improve our broken immigration system,” he said.