In response to what it called a misuse of the program by Nigerians in the UK, the British government has indicated that it may tighten the requirements for student and work visas.
The number of relatives that Nigerians bring to the UK, according to data from the UK Home Office, is almost equal to the proportion of student and work visas that are granted to the African nation.
Suella Braverman, the UK Home Secretary, was quoted by The Times UK as suggesting that the government was thinking about strengthening the laws governing dependents.
In comparison with other countries, like China, India, Pakistan and United States, it was discovered that citizens of these countries bring in fewer numbers.
India is the only country that is close to Nigeria, the UK Home Office research showed. Nigerians secured about 34,000 study visas to the UK and they eventually brought 31,898 dependents.
Analysis from the Home Office report shows that Nigerians accounted for 40% of all dependants who accompanied foreign students in the 12 months to June 2022 – despite Nigerian students making up just 7% of all foreign students in that period.
34,000 Nigerians were given study visas in the UK, bringing with them a total of 31,898 dependants. A similar ratio was recorded for work visas, with 8,972 Nigerians issued with one in the 12 months to June bringing with them 8,576 dependants.
By comparison, the figures show that 93,049 Indian students who came to the UK last year brought with them 24,916 dependants, while 114,837 Chinese students came to Britain with 401 dependants.
“There were 117,965 grants to Indian nationals in the year ending June 2022, an increase of 80,569 (+215%) compared to 2019. Chinese nationals were the second most common nationality granted Sponsored study visas in the year ending June 2022, with 115,056 visas granted, 4% lower than the number seen in 2019 (119,825).”
“In the other top 5 nationalities, Nigerian nationals saw the largest relative increase in Sponsored Study grants compared with 2019, increasing by 57,545 (+686%) to a record high of 65,929, making them the third largest nationality group in the latest year,” the Home office said.
In a chat, a Home Office told Daily Mail: “This is the highest on record in our time series, with the substantial increase representing both a recovery from lower numbers during the Covid-19 pandemic but also an increase on the pre-pandemic period.”
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