Rise in Nigerian students from 20,00 to 127,000 in 3 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Nigerian students in the United Kingdom universities have risen in number from 2,000 to 127,000 in the past three years, causing a strain on the country, British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has disclosed.
Montgomery confirmed Nigerians alone received 325,000 visas out of three million issued to international students and other immigrants in 2022.
He was speaking in Abuja in defence of the UK government’s new policy on the restriction of visas for the relatives of international students.
He said the policy is a mechanism devised to manage pressure on social services for scholars.
“Three years ago, there were 20,000 Nigerian students in British higher education institutions, and last year, the number increased to 127,000,” Montgomery said, per Vanguard.
“So, we had a five-fold increase in the number of students from Nigeria coming to UK universities. We are delighted that UK universities continue to attract the best and brightest from Nigeria.”
In 2022, he added, “the UK granted three million new UK visas of various types, including students and other visitors. Nigerians alone received 325,000 of those three million visas.
“So more than 10 per cent of the visas from the UK are to Nigerian citizens which is fantastic. It goes back to the fact that the UK and Nigeria have strong people-to-people links.”
“The policy change is about people who are doing non-research degrees coming to the UK as undergraduates, or for a one-year Master’s degree programme, and who decide to bring their dependents.
“We have had a very significant rise in the number of people coming from all around the world, not just from Nigeria. This has caused some strain on the UK.”
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Large Nigerian figures partly why UK banned foreign students’ relatives
It emerged in May that a large number of Nigerian students and their relatives in the UK is one of the key reasons London is clamping down on foreign students bringing dependants to an island scared stiff of being overrun by immigrants.
British Home Secretary Suella Braverman announced in May foreign students will not be allowed to bring their families – spouses, children and parents – from January 2024.
The irony is that both Braverman and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak are of Indian descent, their parents having emigrated to the UK where their children were born.
And Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murthy, is an Indian; the daughter of one of India’s richest men, Narayana Murthy.
Despite their background which should predispose them to be sympathetic to immigrants, Sunak and Braverman are hemmed in by Brexiteers in and outside the Conservative Party who are isolationists.
Politically, Sunak and Braverman have to be Rightwing to be viewed favourably by their Tory constituencies so they can retain their seats in Parliament.
However, Braverman explained the ban affects only foreign undergraduate and postgraduate students on non-research courses.
The UK government gave the following reasons for the restriction:
1. Sunak’s move to cut down migration
Sunak plans that one of the ways to revive the economy is to cut down on immigration. He is using the restriction to reduce the influx of foreigners.
2. Nigerians constitute the highest number of African students in UK
Nigeria has the highest number of African students in the UK and the third highest globally after China and India, according to UK education data group, Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
3. Most UK immigrants are non-EU citizens
London is concerned the rise in immigration is largely driven by nationals outside the EU – including 170,000.
Sunak’s government said refugees and African and Asian migrants are resettling in the UK.
4. To reduce number of foreigners taking over British economy
Sunak is cutting immigration to reduce the number of migrants taking over key sectors of the economy.
Braverman in May sought lower immigration and suggested more British people be trained to do jobs commonly done by overseas workers, such as lorry driving and fruit picking.
