Is UK going to restrict visas for Pakistani students?

(Web Desk): The British government may impose restrictions on visa applications from students residing in Pakistan and other countries, amid concerns that some may file asylum claims after arriving in the UK.

This move follows a backlash against Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party in last week's local elections, where voters expressed discontent over issues including illegal immigration.

British officials have said that the government is expected to release a policy document (white paper) next week, outlining plans to reduce net migration, which reached 728,000 people in the year ending June 2024.

In a statement, the UK Home Office said the upcoming immigration white paper will present a comprehensive plan to restore order to the country’s "broken immigration system."

High levels of legal migration have long dominated the UK's political debate and were a major factor behind the Brexit referendum in 2016.

According to official figures, 108,000 people applied for asylum in the UK last year, including 16,000 who held student visas. However, the government does not disclose the nationalities of those who applied for asylum while on student visas.

Still, UK authorities claim that individuals from Pakistan, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka are most likely to seek asylum after entering the country on work, student, or visitor visas.

Following the Labour Party's disappointing performance in the local elections, some Members of Parliament have urged the government to take stronger and more decisive action on reducing migration.

A group of MPs representing former Labour strongholds — known as the "Red Wall" — said the government must "stop going in circles" and act firmly.