Pakistanis Top Asylum Application List in UK

More than 11,000 Pakistani nationals in the United Kingdom have reportedly taken advantage of flaws in the UK visa system to apply for asylum.

New data shows that thousands of people are entering Britain on legal temporary visas,  including holiday, work, and student permits, and later changing their status to seek asylum.

According to figures cited in a report by The Telegraph, more than 11,000 Pakistanis submitted asylum applications in 2024, the highest number among 175 nationalities seeking protection in the UK.

The UK government documents reveal that nearly 10,000 Pakistanis who arrived legally later switched to asylum claims in an apparent attempt to remain permanently. Overall, 40,739 asylum applications last year were made by migrants who had initially been granted entry through legitimate visas.

Of those applications:

• Over 16,000 came from individuals who entered on student visas
• Around 11,400 from those with skilled worker visas
• More than 9,400 from visitor visa holders

This means almost 38% of total asylum requests in 2024 were made by people who were already in the UK on temporary permissions.

Pakistan leads the visa-to-asylum switch trend across multiple categories. The data shows:

• 5,888 Pakistani nationals shifted from student visas to asylum
• 2,578 applicants moved from work visas
• 902 filed claims after entering on visitor visas

Pakistanis now make up one in every ten asylum requests filed in the UK, the highest total since records began, as concerns intensify over rising migration and the effectiveness of existing visa checks.

Source: The Telegraph