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Opinion National Interest PoV 50-Word Edit

ThePrint On Camera Videos In Pictures

Society & Culture Around Town Book Excerpts Vigyapanti The Dating Story

More Judiciary Education YourTurn Work With Us Campus Voice

If UK’s ’emergency brake’ on study visas is really about rules, why is Pakistan not included?

The selection of Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar and Sudan is curious. Especially when Pakistanis currently constitute one of the largest groups claiming asylum in the UK.

The UK government has, for the first time, imposed what it calls an “emergency brake” on study visas for nationals from four countries—Afghanistan, Cameroon, Myanmar, and Sudan. The move has quietly raised many questions, not just about immigration policy but also about what happens when humanitarian concerns collide with political pressure over migration.

What caught my attention was the speech by Shabana Mahmood, the Secretary of State for the Home Department. She spoke about people “exploiting Britain’s generosity” to claim asylum. Politicians often give speeches that people forget right away, but words matter because they show a deeper problem in the system.

In principle, I understand and support the reasoning behind the decision. Student visas are being used as a mechanism to enter the country and later claim asylum. It undermines the very purpose of the visa system.

This doesn’t mean that one should ignore people who really need help. Those fleeing persecution or conflict should be able to seek asylum through an honest and transparent process. How countries can help such people on humanitarian grounds is a serious discussion in itself. But that conversation should remain separate from the........

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