The UK government is set to introduce new restrictions on visa applications from nationals of countries deemed most likely to overstay their visas and seek asylum, according to a government official. This move is aimed at curbing net migration, which has become a key political issue, particularly following Labour’s poor results in last week's local elections.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer's Labour Party faced significant voter backlash over issues related to irregular immigration and asylum seekers, driving the government to take more decisive action. The Home Office is expected to unveil a comprehensive plan next week in an "Immigration White Paper" that will outline strategies to reduce the country's annual net migration, which reached a record high of 728,000 in the year to June 2024.

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Which countries will be affected?

The UK government does not provide a breakdown of the nationalities of those who held student visas and went on to claim asylum, but said people from Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka were the most likely to claim asylum in the UK after arriving on a work, student, or a visitor visa.

Government data from last year revealed that of the 108,000 people who applied for asylum in the UK, 16,000 had entered the country on student visas.

A spokesperson for the Home Office emphasized that the new measures are part of an effort to prevent abuse of the immigration system.

"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.

"We keep the visa system under constant review and will, where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, not hesitate to take action," the spokesperson said.

"Under our plan for change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system."

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Balancing economic needs and public sentiments

The Labour Party has also vowed to take action on immigration, promising to bring net migration under control. Labour MPs have urged the government to take more direct action to reduce migration and its associated challenges. Jo White, a Labour lawmaker, called for the government to stop "pussyfooting around" on the issue.

In a related development, the Home Office actually reported a decline in visa applications for key routes in the year to March 2025.

Applications across work, study, and family visa categories dropped by 37 percent compared to the previous year, reflecting changes in immigration rules introduced earlier in 2024. Notably, the changes include a ban on overseas care workers and students bringing family dependants and an increase in the salary threshold for skilled workers to 38,700 British pounds (around 45,700 euros).

As the UK grapples with its immigration policies, the government is under mounting pressure to find a solution that balances the needs of businesses, universities, and the broader economy with concerns over immigration control and public sentiment.

The full details of the government's new immigration strategy are expected to be revealed in the upcoming White Paper, which aims to restore order to what officials describe as a "broken immigration system," in an echo of the opposition Conservative party who were in power up until July 2024, and frequently described the asylum system as "broken," before passing ever tougher reforms to the laws.

With Reuters and dpa