Report says 52,000 Nigerians migrated to UK, besides 34,000 who obtained US citizenship in 3 years
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
About 52,000 Nigerians relocated to the United Kingdom in 2024, according to new data from the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) which puts Nigeria among the top sources of non-EU+ migration last year.
The number is apart from the 34,000 Nigerians who obtained United States citizenship in the three years between 2000 and 2022.
The UK data released on Thursday shows the influx was in spite of a significant decline in overall net migration to that country, which dropped by nearly “50 percent in the year ending December 2024” with estimated net migration at “431,000, down from 860,000 in the previous year,” according to ONS.
Most Nigerian migrants arrived in the UK for work or study purposes. Of the total, 27,000 came on work-related visas, 22,000 on study visas, and the remaining 3,000 under other immigration categories.
Nigeria joins India, Pakistan, and China as one of the leading contributors to non-EU+ migration to the UK.
“For the year ending December 2024, Indian nationals were the most common non-EU+ immigrants,” the report said.
“Work and study-related immigration were the primary reasons for migration among Indian, Pakistani, and Nigerian nationals.”
The report also highlighted that 83 percent of non-EU+ migrants were of working age (16–64 years), with 52 percent male and 48 percent female.
Children under 16 made up 16 percent of migrants, only one percent were over the age of 65.
While immigration from countries such as Nigeria remained notable, the overall decline in migration was attributed to fewer arrivals on work and study visas, especially from non-EU+ countries, and increased emigration.
Many individuals who arrived during or after the COVID-19 pandemic have now returned home, particularly those on study visas.
Work-related immigration among main applicants saw the largest numerical fall, down by 108,000 or a 49 percent year-on-year (YoY) decrease.
Study-related immigration also dropped 17 percent, and the number of study dependents dipped 86 percent, the steepest decline.
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