As of January 1, 2024, the United Kingdom Home Office has announced that overseas students, including those from Nigeria, will no longer be permitted to bring family members to the country, as part of its commitment to significantly reduce migration.
In a New Year post on X (formerly Twitter), the UK Home Office stated, “From today (Monday), new overseas students will no longer be able to bring family members to the UK.”
The ban, however, excludes postgraduate research or government-funded scholarship students.
The UK, a favored destination for Nigerian youths seeking better education, employment, and security, has been witnessing a mass exodus known as the ‘Japa’ phenomenon, particularly with Nigeria’s unemployment rate reaching a record high of over 33.3 percent.
The initial announcement to restrict overseas students from bringing family members was made in mid-2023 as part of an immigration crackdown on students moving their relatives to the UK. At least 135,788 family members accompanied students entering Britain for study in 2022, marking a significant increase from 2019.
Last year alone, 59,053 Nigerian students brought over 60,923 relatives, according to reports. The UK also disclosed plans to raise the minimum salary threshold for a skilled worker visa and prevent health and social care staff from bringing family dependents to Britain.
Described as the “biggest clampdown on legal migration ever” by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s office, these measures have faced criticism for potential damage to the state-run National Health Service (NHS), dealing with staff shortages. Immigration is anticipated to be a key issue in upcoming nationwide elections.
In response to the surge in net migration in 2022, Interior Minister James Cleverly outlined a plan aiming for 300,000 fewer people coming to the UK in the coming years, emphasizing a need for change and stating, “Enough is enough.” The proposed measures are set to take effect early next year.
Ada Peter
