According to reports, the government plans to limit work visas and applications for nationalities who are likely to overstay their visas and claim asylum.
A report in The Times states that home secretary Yvette cooper will restrict the number of work and study visas granted to a variety of nationalities. This includes Pakistanis, Nigerians, and Sri Lankans. These are those who, according to Cooper, have the highest likelihood to overstay their visas and to claim asylum.
The government is planning to reject visa applications from individuals who are likely to seek asylum in the UK, and come from countries that have a high rate of asylum claims.
The government is expected to publish its Immigration White Paper next week.
The plan will outline the Prime Minister Sir Keir’s Starmer’s strategy for reducing net immigration, which was 728,000 in 2013. This is now a top priority after Reform’s success in the local elections last week.
The curbs will likely cause a backlash in the countries that are included. They may feel discriminated against. Legal sources also stated that this move would be viewed as discriminatory, and challenged in court.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the Home Office told Sky News: “To combat abuse by foreigners who arrive with work and study visas then claim asylum we are building intelligence about their profile to identify them sooner and faster.
“We constantly review the visa system and will take action if we notice any trends that may compromise our immigration laws.
Our upcoming Immigration White Paper, under our Plan for Change will provide a comprehensive plan for restoring order to our broken Immigration System.
The Times reported that the Home Office was building intelligence so caseworkers could spot patterns of people most likely to use work and study visas to gain asylum. According to government sources, they have identified visa holders from Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka as those most likely to seek asylum.
It was revealed that officials are working with the National Crime Agency to develop a model to reject visa applications from migrants who fit the profile of someone most likely to seek asylum.
It added that they have identified patterns of behavior – such a low engagement in university classes – of individuals using the routes to claim refugee status.
Sacha Wooldridge is the partner and head immigration at Birketts. She expressed doubts about how realistic it would be for the Home Office to implement this kind of visa restriction.
She said that it was unlikely the Home Office could implement visa restrictions on the basis of nationality without facing a substantial legal challenge.
The Home Office will use its existing powers to examine the authenticity of applications or to use the security concerns of certain demographics to justify refusals.
Wooldridge said, “We are already seeing this in the Home Office’s decision-making every day. The notable increase in license revocations and visa refusals in 2025 is evidence of that.”
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