UK moves to tighten visa rules for Nigerians, Pakistanis

The United Kingdom is weighing stricter visa requirements for citizens of Nigeria, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, citing concerns over visa overstays and asylum claims.

The proposed measures, reported by The Times on Tuesday, could further limit immigration opportunities for Nigerians already facing rising UK visa rejections.

The UK Home Office confirmed the planned changes, linking them to a pattern of visitors arriving on work or study visas only to later seek asylum.

“Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

“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.”

Read also: Senate delays passage of tax reform bills, announces security summit amid rising violence

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

The move comes amid a surge in Nigerian emigration—popularly known as japa —and follows recent UK restrictions on student visa holders bringing dependents. The changes have already had a dramatic impact, including UK visa rejections for Nigerians which rose from 1 in 31 applications in 2022 to 1 in 8 by late 2023

Also, issued UK visas to Nigerians dropped 63% over the past year, with many applicants now exploring alternatives like the U.S., where policies have also tightened

The Immigration White Paper, expected later in May, will detail wider reforms to what the UK government calls a “broken” system. While full measures remain undisclosed, the focus on specific nationalities signals a targeted approach to reducing asylum claims.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now