The UK government has raised concerns about a growing number of foreign students seeking asylum after finishing their courses, saying the trend points to abuse of legal migration routes.
Speaking during a visit to Chennai, India, UK Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra defended her country’s new immigration proposals, which could make some migrants wait up to 20 years to settle permanently.
The qualifying period for indefinite leave to remain would also rise from five to ten years. The changes will affect about 2.6 million people who arrived in the UK since 2021.
Malhotra said the reforms are “in line with what countries around the world do” to prevent misuse of visas. She added, “We also send a very strong message that we welcome those coming legally.”
Citing Home Office figures, Malhotra said about 16,000 international students applied for asylum in the UK last year after completing their studies. A further 14,800 students sought asylum up to June 2025. She noted, “We’ve seen visa abuse in the case of legal routes, where people have gone legally and then sought to overstay when their visas weren’t extended. If you see that level of abuse, it undermines your immigration system. It undermines public confidence, and the fairness and control people expect.”
India remains one of the largest sources of international students in the UK, but numbers are falling. Malhotra said the number of Indian students heading to the UK dropped 11% from last year as stricter rules took effect. The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford reports that India accounted for 25% of international student arrivals in 2023–2024, followed by China at 23% and Nigeria at 8%.
She said Britain still “very much welcomes” Indian students and is working with universities to ensure only genuine students enter the country. The UK–India free trade agreement (FTA), signed in July, has encouraged UK universities to open campuses in India. Liverpool University, for example, plans to open a campus in Bengaluru in 2026. Nine UK universities have already been cleared to set up campuses across India.
Malhotra also said the UK is moving to a “contribution-based” immigration system, where long-term settlement depends on a migrant’s economic contribution rather than years of residence. She added, “We are expanding routes for those with skills in areas that the UK requires,” including nurses and care workers.
The Royal College of Nursing has warned that up to 50,000 nurses could leave if the proposals go ahead. Internationally trained staff now make up around 25% of the UK’s nursing workforce, with many from India. Malhotra said the government is taking steps to protect these workers from visa scams and is sharing intelligence with countries like India to crack down on criminal gangs.
