UK Tightens Student Visa Rules for Nigerians, Pakistanis, and Sri Lankans Amid Asylum Concerns

The UK Home Office has announced stricter visa screening measures targeting applicants from Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, citing evidence that these nationalities are disproportionately likely to overstay work or study visas and subsequently claim asylum, The Guardian reported.

Officials revealed that nearly 10,000 asylum seekers who originally entered the UK legally on such visas were housed in taxpayer-funded accommodations last year, with individuals from these three countries representing the majority.

The government is collaborating with the National Crime Agency (NCA) to develop predictive models that identify high-risk applicants. These models will analyze submitted bank statements and other profile data to detect patterns associated with later asylum claims. While the policy aims to close perceived loopholes in the immigration system, migration experts caution that its success depends heavily on the accuracy of the profiling algorithms.

The move follows recent disclosures that Pakistani, Nigerian, and Sri Lankan nationals constituted the largest groups transitioning from legal visas to asylum seekers in government housing. Legal experts acknowledge the government’s broad discretion in visa approvals, though the nationality-specific focus may invite discrimination challenges. The Home Office maintains the measures are data-driven, pointing to March 2025 statistics showing these countries accounting for over 60% of such cases.