Dhaka, Dec. 14 -- Several British universities have quietly tightened or suspended admissions for students from Bangladesh and Pakistan, citing tougher Home Office rules and rising visa refusal rates, a move that is significantly narrowing access for applicants from two of the UK's largest international student source countries.

UK universities have traditionally relied heavily on international students to support their finances and sustain globally diverse campuses.

Amid heightened scrutiny by immigration authorities, many institutions are, however, now limiting recruitment from what they describe as "high-risk" countries to avoid breaching visa compliance thresholds.

According to a report by the Financial Times, at least nine UK univ...