UK expands anti–visa fraud drive in India amid crackdown on illegal migrants

 

Britain is moving its anti–visa fraud campaign deeper into India, expanding a pilot programme from Punjab to Tamil Nadu in a bid to curb fake visa rackets and stop illegal migration before it begins. The initiative, unveiled in Chennai during Indo-Pacific Minister Seema Malhotra’s visit this week, marks a stepped-up phase of UK-India cooperation on border security and migrant protection.

The campaign includes targeted outreach in high-risk districts and a Tamil-language WhatsApp chatbot designed to help Indian travellers verify documents, identify scams and avoid fraudulent agents. Officials say the model builds on promising early results from the Punjab pilot, which was launched earlier this year.

The expansion comes as Britain tightens its migration and asylum systems. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has announced sweeping reforms aimed at reducing abuse of asylum routes and sanctioning the networks that traffic vulnerable people to the UK.

According to the UK government, the new Tamil Nadu initiative is tied closely to the UK–India Vision 2035 framework, which commits both countries to reducing irregular migration and countering exploitation by organised criminal groups.

FTA context and wider diplomatic push

Malhotra’s India visit also serves a second purpose: advancing the recently concluded UK-India Free Trade Agreement, a deal the UK government says could boost UK GDP by £4.8 billion annually, raise wages by £2.2 billion, and increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion.

She will meet British firms operating in Chennai and Bengaluru — including Tesco, Revolut and BT — to gauge how the FTA is shaping business and investment flows.

“This government is acting to stem the flow of illegal migration at its source – using campaigns targeted at hotspot areas to prevent visa fraud, keeping people safe while securing our borders,” Malhotra said, adding that her visit would also show “how our landmark Free Trade Agreement will create thousands of jobs, bringing investment back to the UK.”

Next stop: Maldives

After India, Malhotra will travel to the Maldives to inspect UK-supported climate adaptation projects, including a mangrove conservation initiative in Huraa that supports biodiversity and local livelihoods. She is expected to meet senior Maldivian ministers handling foreign affairs, environment and defence to push collaboration on clean energy, maritime security and counterterrorism — a dialogue coinciding with 60 years of UK-Maldives diplomatic relations.