LONDON, United Kingdom — The United Kingdom is preparing to impose a new set of restrictions aimed at halting a significant influx of student immigrants, according to a report from The Sun UK on Sunday, May 21, 2023.
These regulations are expected to prevent many international students, including those from Nigeria, from bringing their families with them while they study.
The forthcoming immigration clampdown, scheduled for announcement later this week, will primarily target masters students and a broad section of postgraduate candidates.
Conversely, the proposed restrictions will not apply to Ph.D. students, who are typically engaged in their courses of study for between three and five years.
“This is about tightening up on the abuses of the system while ensuring the brightest and best continue to choose the UK,” an unnamed source from the UK government reported to The Sun.
The clampdown follows reports that net migration into the UK surged to 1 million in the past year, a figure that has prompted concern among Conservative MPs. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has been asked to exert greater control over these rapidly increasing numbers.
Rishi Sunak, addressing the looming announcement, reportedly intends to take a robust stance on immigration.
He suggests that the current figures are a legacy issue, dating back to the year ending December 2022 – two months after he took office.
A drastic increase in people arriving in the UK on the basis of their relative’s student visa has been noted, with figures suggesting an almost tenfold increase from 2019 to last year.
Over 135,000 family members were brought to Britain by students in 2022, a statistic underscored by the fact that 59,053 Nigerian students alone brought over 60,923 relatives.
“We have got to get a grip,” an anonymous Tory MP told The Sun on Sunday, May 21, 2023, reflecting growing frustration within the party.
The planned policy shift has the potential to reshape the social fabric of the UK’s academic community and may impact future enrollment rates among international students.
However, the government has yet to provide detailed information on the expected scope and impact of the new restrictions.
