UK universities restrict recruitment of Bangladeshi and Pakistani students: FT report

Several universities across the United Kingdom have moved to limit or pause student admissions from Pakistan and Bangladesh as institutions come under pressure to comply with tougher Home Office rules and a sharp tightening of the student visa regime, according to a report published in Financial Times.

The curbs, introduced quietly over the past few months, follow a spike in visa refusals and rising scrutiny of applications from what the Home Office categorises as “high-risk” countries. Institutions are now required to keep the refusal rate for sponsored student visa applications below 5%, half the previous threshold, or risk losing their licence to enrol foreign students.

Universities facing higher-than-allowed rejection rates have responded by suspending, restricting or deferring recruitment from both countries.

The debate over student visas comes against a backdrop of rising migration pressures. Reuters reported in May that the Labour government is under mounting strain after net migration hit 728,000 in the year to June 2024, while small-boat arrivals continue to surge.

Nearly 37,000 migrants had already crossed the Channel by October, according to AFP, surpassing the previous year’s total and fuelling criticism that the government has failed to regain control of the borders.

The University of Chester has halted admissions from Pakistan until autumn 2026 after an unexpected rise in visa refusals, while Wolverhampton and East London have stopped taking undergraduate or new applicants from Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sunderland, Coventry, Hertfordshire, Oxford Brookes, Glasgow Caledonian and several private institutions have also introduced temporary freezes or programme-specific pauses.

Admissions teams say the compliance burden has intensified after an increase in asylum claims lodged by international students, prompting UK officials to warn that the study route “must not become a backdoor” to settlement. Student visa refusals for Pakistan and Bangladesh, 18% and 22% respectively in the year to September, remain well above the new 5pc threshold, putting universities at risk of sanction.

The issue has become politically charged in Britain. The Labour government, under pressure after disappointing local election results earlier this year, has pledged to reduce net migration and curb misuse of work and study routes.

A forthcoming Immigration White Paper is expected to propose tighter oversight of student pathways after earlier warnings that applicants from Pakistan, Nigeria and Sri Lanka are among the most likely to seek asylum after arriving on visas.

The broader immigration system has come under stress as well. The UK has recorded another surge in small-boat crossings this year, surpassing last year’s total and adding to political pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration. Public frustration over migration numbers has benefited hard-right parties, with the government facing criticism that enforcement measures and new returns arrangements with France have struggled to deliver results.

For universities, the new compliance rules pose a financial dilemma. Lower-fee institutions rely heavily on international enrolments to stay afloat, and sector analysts warn that even a modest rise in problematic cases can push an institution above the refusal threshold.

Some universities placed under Home Office “action plans” have acknowledged making rapid, temporary changes to reduce risk while they overhaul screening processes, strengthen deposit requirements and reassess recruitment through overseas education agents.

Education consultants in Pakistan say the sudden suspensions have left many genuine applicants stranded at the final stage of admission. They argue that weak oversight of recruitment agents — many of whom prioritise volume over vetting — has contributed to the problem and should be addressed by both UK institutions and local regulators.

According to official estimates, more than 20 UK higher education institutions currently fall short of at least one of the tightened compliance metrics, raising the prospect of reduced international intakes or temporary loss of sponsorship licences in the coming year.

A Home Office spokesperson has defended the tougher standards, saying that while international students are valued, stricter enforcement is essential to ensure only genuine students enter and institutions uphold their responsibilities under the visa system.