UK Considers Visa Restrictions On Pakistani Students Amid Rising Asylum Claims And Migration Concerns

May 06, 2025 : The British government is reportedly considering imposing new visa restrictions on international students, with a particular focus on applicants from countries like Pakistan that have shown a higher tendency to seek asylum, according to a report by Dawn.

This potential policy shift is part of a broader strategy to curb the United Kingdom’s rising net migration numbers, which hit 728,000 in the year leading up to June 2024. An official source confirmed that the government aims to address growing public concern about immigration, a key issue in the recent local elections where Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party suffered significant losses.

The UK Home Office announced that it will release an Immigration White Paper next week outlining its plan to “restore order to our broken immigration system.” The document is expected to lay out comprehensive measures to reduce both legal and illegal migration.

Immigration has long been a divisive issue in British politics, playing a central role in the 2016 Brexit referendum and continuing to influence policy debates. Asylum applications have surged in recent years, with 1,08,138 individuals claiming asylum in 2024—a rise of 18 per cent from 2023 and surpassing the previous record set in 2002.

According to UK government data, the majority of these asylum seekers are from Pakistan (10,542), Afghanistan (8,508), and Iran (8,099), accounting for a combined 25 per cent of all claims. Pakistani asylum claims alone have increased by 79 per cent over the past year, while claims from Vietnamese nationals more than doubled.

Officials believe many asylum seekers initially enter the country on student, work, or visitor visas before seeking protection status. In response, some Labour MPs are urging the government to take a firmer stance on migration as part of rebuilding voter trust after the party’s poor showing in local elections.

As the UK prepares to unveil its new immigration strategy, students and migrants from Pakistan and other high-risk countries may face tighter entry controls in the near future.