UK bans Nigerian health workers from bringing dependants
By Ishaya Ibrahim
The United Kingdom (UK) has banned health and care workers from Nigeria and other foreign countries from bringing dependants to the country.
This was announced in a terse statement via the UK Home Office verified X handle (formerly Twitter) on Monday, March 11.
According to the UK government, the measure was part of its plan to reduce migration into the country, adding that overseas care workers brought an estimated 120,000 dependants to the UK in the year ending September 23.
The statement reads: “From today, care workers entering the UK on Health and Care Worker visas can no longer bring dependants.
“This is part of our plan to deliver the biggest ever cut in migration.”
In May 2023, the United Kingdom announced restrictions barring foreign students from bringing family members into the country.
The Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, announced the ban as part of the push to reduce net migration.
The Home Secretary said all foreign students – apart from those on postgraduate research programmes – will be banned from bringing their dependents from January 2024.
Hitherto, the UK permits dependents to accompany their spouses or parent(s) who have a valid student visa.
READ ALSO: UK bans relatives from accompanying students from Nigeria, other countries
Braverman had said there had been an “unexpected” spike in the number of dependents – saying the economic benefits brought by students could “not be at the expense” of the Tory promise to cut immigration.
The ban affected all master’s students and some other post-graduates, but it did not apply to PhD students who are highly skilled and whose courses last between three to five years.
The crackdown which commenced January 2, 2024 affected many Nigerian students hoping to pursue their postgraduate studies in the UK, as they accounted for the highest increase in the number of dependents accompanying persons with study visas in 2022.