The United Kingdom is considering restricting applications for nationalities deemed at risk of overstaying and claiming asylum, according to a report published in The Times.
The newspaper claims that the potential restrictions would apply to work and study visas from citizens of countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka. It states the plans would be announced by next week in an Immigration White Paper, as the British government seeks to reduce net migration figures.
Prior to forming government, Britain’s Labour Party had issued a manifesto vowing to reduce immigration, maintaining that unchecked migration reduces incentives for businesses to train locally. “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,” it quoted a spokesperson from the Home Office as saying.
“We keep the visa system under constant review,” they said, adding that if any trends suggest undermining of immigration rules, action would be taken. “Under our plan for change, our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” they added.
According to official figures, 108,000 people claimed asylum in Britain last year. Of these, 16,000 had student visas. The government does not provide details of the nationalities of individuals who seek asylum.