Latest News
UK Visa Restriction Not Targeted at Nigerians, Says Envoy
The UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, has said that the UK’s decision to restrict foreign students from bringing dependents with them starting in 2024 is not targeted at Nigerians.
Recall that in May, the UK Home Office said it will restrict foreign students from bringing family members with them effective 2024 to stop people from using the student visa as a backdoor channel to work in the UK.
Asked whether migration between Nigeria and the UK was discussed at his meeting with the Vice President, British High Commissioner said the issue was not raised at the meeting “but I would like to put the media debate about it in a broader context”.
Montgomery, on Wednesday, said that the decision was made in order to protect UK infrastructure and to ensure that students are coming to the UK to study, not to work.
“The policy is not targeted at any one nationality,” he said. “It is simply a way of ensuring that the UK’s immigration system is fair and that it is not being abused.”
Montgomery said that the UK welcomes international students and that the number of Nigerian students coming to the UK has increased fivefold in the last three years.
“We are really delighted that so many Nigerians are coming to the UK,” he said. “We want to make sure that they have the best possible experience while they are here.”
The new visa policy will come into effect in January 2024. Students who are already in the UK on student visas will be able to bring their dependents with them until their visa expires.
The decision to restrict foreign students from bringing dependents has been met with criticism from some quarters. Some people have argued that the policy will make it more difficult for students to come to the UK and that it will discourage families from sending their children to study in the UK.
However, Montgomery said that the UK government believes that the policy is necessary to protect UK infrastructure and to ensure that the immigration system is fair.
“We believe that this is the right thing to do,” he said. “We want to make sure that the UK’s immigration system is fair and that it is not being abused.”