UK Visa Policies Under Spotlight During Tory Leadership Race

London: The two leading candidates to succeed Rishi Sunak as Conservative Party leader and become the Leader of the Opposition in the House of Commons are focusing on reducing immigration to the UK, particularly highlighting visa issues for Indian nationals during intense debates.

As the Conservative Party conference kicks off in Birmingham on Sunday, former immigration minister Robert Jenrick emphasized India as one of the nations that should face stringent visa restrictions across all categories unless it agrees to repatriate its nationals who enter Britain unlawfully. His main rival, shadow housing secretary Kemi Badenoch, has also addressed the issue, criticizing new migrants for bringing disputes from India that lead to unrest on British streets.

“It’s evident that many recent arrivals have imported views from their countries of origin that are unacceptable here,” Badenoch remarked during a BBC interview.

As equalities minister, she witnessed individuals introducing cultural conflicts from India to the streets of Leicester. “We must ensure that when people come to this country, they leave their previous differences behind. This is not a controversial statement,” she asserted.

Badenoch, who has Nigerian heritage and is seen as a frontrunner in the current Tory leadership race, was seemingly referencing the clashes that erupted in Leicester in September 2022 following an India-Pakistan Asia Cup cricket match.

Additionally, her former colleague Robert Jenrick, who has gained an early advantage in the competition, told The Daily Telegraph earlier this week that while India received 250,000 visas over the past year, there are approximately 100,000 Indian nationals believed to be living in the UK illegally.

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