LONDON: A new investigation by The Telegraph has revealed that more than 11,000 Pakistani nationals exploited loopholes in the United Kingdom’s visa system to seek asylum in 2024.
According to the report, over 40,000 asylum applications were filed in the UK this year, of which more than 11,000 were submitted by Pakistanis. This figure marks a five-fold increase since 2022, placing Pakistan at the top among 175 countries from which asylum seekers originated.
The report highlights that all these individuals entered the UK legally through visit, work, or student visas before filing asylum claims.
UK Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp described the misuse of the border visa system as a “complete failure” of the government, emphasizing that strong and decisive measures are urgently needed to prevent further exploitation.