Minister labels visa ‘abuse’ as student asylum claims surge

UK Indo-Pacific Secretary Seema Malhotra defends her government’s policies immigration proposal During his visit to India, he expressed concern over the increase in the number of foreign students seeking asylum after completing their studies.

Under new plan, some immigrants may have to wait 20 years They will be able to settle permanently in the UK and the eligibility period for indefinite leave to remain will be extended from five to ten years.

The proposals will apply to the estimated 2.6 million people who have arrived in the country since 2021. While the Conservatives have cautiously welcomed the measures, the proposals have drawn criticism from some quarters, including from some Labor MPs.

Malhotra told the BBC in the southern Indian city of Chennai that the reforms were “in line with what countries around the world are doing to stop abuses of the immigration system”, adding that “we are also sending a very strong message that we welcome those who come here legally”.

Malhotra said some 16,000 international students from around the world applied for asylum in the UK last year after completing their courses, which she said was evidence of abuse of legal immigration routes.

A further 14,800 students have sought asylum this year as of June 2025, the latest figures available Ministry of Interior data exhibit. It was unclear how many of them were Indian nationals.

“We’ve seen cases of visa abuse in the context of the legal route, where people are traveling legally and then seeking to overstay without their visa being extended,” Malhotra said.

“If you see this level of abuse, it undermines your immigration system. It undermines public confidence and the fairness and control that people expect.”

India remains one of the UK’s largest sources of international students, but demand is cooling.

The number of Indian students heading to the UK fell by 11% on last year as tougher immigration rules came into force. This raises concerns for British universities that rely on foreign students and are already under financial pressure.

Data from the Oxford University Immigration Observatory shows that India is the largest source country of foreign students in the UK in 2023-2024, accounting for 25% of arrivals. China follows with 23% and Nigeria with 8%.

Malhotra said that while Indian students remained “very welcome” in the UK, the British government was working with universities to ensure they were genuine foreign students.

She said that the recent free trade agreement The free trade agreement (FTA) between the UK and India has also encouraged UK universities to open local campuses in India, with the University of Liverpool announcing last week that it will open a campus in the city of Bengaluru in 2026.

The free trade agreement, signed in July after years of negotiations, is expected to increase UK GDP by £4.8bn a year and expand bilateral trade between the two countries by £25.5bn.

As part of the education chapter of the agreement, nine British universities have been given permission to set up campuses across India.

However, these broader trade ambitions face a domestic political climate exacerbated by immigration issues.

Sir Keir Starmer said during a visit to India in October that the UK would not relax visa rules for Indian nationals, despite Delhi’s longstanding push to promote easier movement in return for trade concessions.

Malhotra rejected the idea that Britain wanted to deepen trade while closing the door to Indian professionals, citing the nearly 500,000 visas issued to Indian nationals last year in work, study and tourist categories.

Malhotra said the UK was moving towards a “contribution-based” immigration system, where settlement and long-term stay depended on a person’s financial contribution rather than the length of time they had lived in the country.

The government’s proposals to reform the UK’s immigration system are part of a wider attempt to tighten controls at the border, but have drawn criticism from some Labor MPs and members of the House of Lords, particularly over its potential impact on international recruitment in areas such as health and social care.

While the reforms are still under consultation, Malhotra said when asked about settlement routes for immigrant professionals such as nurses and carers, “we are expanding routes for those who have skills in areas that are needed in the UK”.

one opinion poll The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has warned that up to 50,000 nurses could leave the UK if the government goes ahead with its immigration proposals.

The report pointed out that the UK currently has more than 200,000 internationally educated nursing staff, accounting for about 25% of the country’s total 794,000 nursing staff.

A significant number of these nurses and caregivers are from India. Several investigations, including British Broadcasting Corporationsuggesting many of them have fallen victim to cross-border visa scams, losing hundreds of thousands of pounds.

But Malhotra said the UK was stepping up efforts to protect people from such exploitation and working with law enforcement agencies in countries such as India to share intelligence and crack down on such gangs.

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