The United Kingdom is reportedly preparing to impose new visa restrictions on Nigerian, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan nationals as part of an aggressive effort to reform its immigration system and curb visa abuse.

According to a report by The Times, the UK Home Office has identified citizens from these countries as among the most likely to overstay their visas and later seek asylum—a move that grants them permanent residency rights if approved.

In response, officials said the affected nationalities may soon face tougher requirements when applying for student or work visas.

“Our upcoming Immigration White Paper will set out a comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system,” a Home Office spokesperson said.

The Home Office said it is building intelligence systems to identify individuals likely to exploit the visa system early in the process.

“We keep the visa system under constant review, and where we detect trends which may undermine our immigration rules, we will not hesitate to take action,” the statement added.

The full details of the proposed visa changes will be released later in May as part of the UK’s long-awaited Immigration White Paper.

[TheNation]