Thousands of Pakistani Students Settle in UK Each Year

Between 13,000 and 15,000 Pakistani students travel to the United Kingdom each year to settle there permanently, a Foreign Office (FO) official informed the Senate on Friday.

During a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis, chaired by Senator Zeeshan Khanzada, the FO representative stated, “Each year, 13,000 to 15,000 Pakistani students move to the UK seeking permanent residency.”

The official noted that many of these students choose to stay in the UK rather than return home, often accepting jobs that pay minimum wage as they integrate into the local workforce.

It was further shared that these students typically enter the British labour market soon after completing their studies. The FO representative added that approximately 1.8 million Pakistani nationals currently reside in the UK.

However, the official pointed out that language barriers, particularly limited English proficiency, create challenges for many Pakistani citizens living in the UK.

Earlier this week, the UK government introduced e-visas for Pakistani students and workers as part of its upgraded border and immigration protocols.

This development followed the recent signing of the UK-Pakistan Trade Dialogue Mechanism Agreement, which also led to the formation of the UK-Pakistan Business Advisory Council aimed at strengthening bilateral economic ties.

In a related move, the UK removed Pakistan from its Air Safety List on Wednesday, enabling Pakistani airlines to apply for flight operations to the UK.

Meanwhile, a British official in May mentioned the government’s consideration of visa restrictions on students from countries, including Pakistan, that are deemed more likely to submit asylum applications. This measure is reportedly aimed at reducing net migration figures.

The proposed changes came in the wake of local elections in England, where Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Party faced setbacks partly due to public dissatisfaction with immigration policies.