…By Joseph Benjamin for TDPel Media.
The United Kingdom government is preparing to announce new restrictions that are likely to prevent Nigerian students, as well as students from other nationalities, studying in the country from bringing their families along.
The decision comes amidst reports of a significant increase in net migration to the UK, reaching one million.
Restrictions on Family Immigration:
According to information gathered by Naija News, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is expected to unveil the restrictions this week.
A Tory member of Parliament revealed in an interview with The Sun UK that the new measures would prohibit Masters’ students and many other postgraduate students from bringing their families over.
However, the ban would not apply to Ph.D. students, who are generally considered highly skilled and undertake longer courses lasting between 3 and 5 years.
Government’s Response to Rising Net Migration:
Tory Members of Parliament have reportedly urged Prime Minister Sunak to address the escalating net migration issue, which has reached one million.
The Sun highlights that Sunak is likely to emphasize that these figures were inherited from the year ending December 2022, just two months after he assumed office as Prime Minister.
Concerns over Family Immigration through Student Visas:
The newspaper reports a significant rise in the number of people entering Britain by utilizing their relatives’ student visas.
Last year alone, students brought 135,788 family members to the UK, a staggering nine times higher than the figure recorded in 2019.
Specifically, Nigerian students were responsible for bringing over 60,923 relatives out of a total of 59,053 students from Nigeria.
Addressing the Immigration Situation:
With the surge in family immigration, there is a growing call to take decisive action.
The UK government aims to regain control over immigration by implementing restrictions on family immigration for certain categories of students, primarily targeting Masters’ and postgraduate students.
Conclusion:
The United Kingdom government’s forthcoming announcement of restrictions on family immigration for Nigerian students and other nationalities studying in the country is expected to address the escalating issue of net migration.
These measures seek to bring the situation under control and reduce the number of family members accompanying students to the UK.
As the government takes steps to regulate immigration, the impact on Nigerian students and their families will become clearer in the coming days.