NEWS
BREAKING: UK Goes Hard on Nigerian Students Bringing Family Over
In keeping with media speculations, the United Kingdom (UK) has formally put legal measures in place to control the way foreign students, including Nigerians bring over family members as dependants.
Biztellers had reported that “Speculations are rife that exodus of foreign students to the United Kingdom (UK) is set to attract stringent regulations with only those enrolled for PHD likely to continue enjoying the privilege of bringing families over.”
The UK government, on Tuesday, as widely anticipated made her stand on the issue public by unveiling legal measures with which she hopes to take a firm grip and control the high influx of foreigners, migrating as dependents to students, reported to stand at over a million presently.
With the new legislation, it would no longer be tenable for international students to switch out of the student route and into work routes before the completion of the course of study, so as to guard against misuse of the visa system.
Biztellers gathered that “there will also be a review of the maintenance requirement for students and dependants in addition to a crackdown on “unscrupulous” education agents “who make use of inappropriate applications to sell immigration, not education”, according to Sky News.
The new regulations come into force by January 2024 so as to make room for students starting courses in the UK time to plan to adapt to the new realities.
Home Secretary, Suella Braverman, in a statement on Tuesday, pointed out that recent immigration figures had shown an “unexpected rise” in the number of dependants moving into the UK together with international students.
Braverman also noted that the increase was made after the government made clear her commitment to lower net migration.
The UK government is fully aware of the economic impact of international students, according to Braverman but would not be singularly focused on that “at the expense of our commitment to the public to lower overall migration”.
This position, Sky News further reports is why the government took pains to strike a balance between acting decisively on tackling net migration and protecting the economic benefits that students can bring to the UK.
The UK’s Home Office has taken to its official site to express optimism that the “New government restrictions to student visa routes will substantially cut net migration by restricting the ability for international students to bring family members on all but post-graduate research routes and banning people from using a student visa as a backdoor route to work in the UK.
It stated, “The ONS estimated that net migration was over 500,000 from June 2021 to June 2022. Although partly attributed to the rise in temporary factors, such as the UK’s Ukraine and Hong Kong schemes, last year almost half a million student visas were issued while the number of dependants of overseas students has increased by 750% since 2019, to 136,000 people.”
The Home Office also noted that this new rule is not at the expense of the government’s commitment to the public to lower overall migration and ensure that migration to the UK is highly skilled and provides the most benefit.
According to them, the proposal is aimed at allowing “the government to continue to meet its International Education Strategy commitments while making a tangible contribution to reducing net migration to sustainable levels. The government has also made clear that the terms of the graduate route remain unchanged.”
The Home Office also made it clear that “the proposals announced today do not detract from the success of the government’s International Education Strategy, including meeting the target to host 600,000 international higher education students studying in the UK each year by 2030, for two years running.”
Official statistics, which are due to be published this week, are expected to show that net migration has increased from 504,000 in the 12 months to June 2022 to more than 700,000 in the year to December, Sky News said.
According to data, foreign students brought 135,788 family members to Britain last year – nine times more than in 2019 while in 2022, 59,053 Nigerian students brought over 60,923 relatives.
On Friday, November 22, 2024, the late Senator Ifeanyi Ubah was laid to rest in his hometown of Nnewi, Anambra State.
The funeral, held at his residence in Umuanuka, Otolo Nnewi, was attended by a multitude of mourners, including political figures, business associates, and community members, all paying their final respects to the esteemed businessman and politician.
The burial proceedings commenced with a funeral mass at 10:00 a.m., followed by condolence visits and other funeral activities. The ceremonies are scheduled to continue through the weekend, culminating in a Thanksgiving Mass and Outing Service on Sunday, November 24, at St. Peter Claver Catholic Church in Otolo Nnewi.
READ MORE: JUST IN: Anambra Senator, Ubah, Dies In London
In light of security concerns, Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, ordered the closure of schools in Nnewi for a week. This decision followed threats from separatist elements who vowed to attack those attending the burial. A circular from the state Ministry of Education directed school principals to inform parents and ensure students remained at home during this period.
The Anambra State Police Command addressed an incident that occurred on Wednesday night, clarifying that it was not related to the burial. According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, the incident involved security operatives mistakenly engaging police personnel, leading to an exchange of gunfire. The situation has since been brought under control.
Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, who represented Anambra South Senatorial District, passed away in London in July 2024 at the age of 52. His death was met with an outpouring of grief from across the nation, with many acknowledging his significant contributions to the development of Anambra State and Nigeria.
As the community of Nnewi and the nation at large bid farewell to Senator Ubah, his legacy as a philanthropist, businessman, and public servant continues to resonate, leaving an indelible mark on those he served and inspired.
The Enugu State Government has commended the Republic of Finland for the arrest of Simon Ekpa, a Finland-based leader of the proscribed separatist group, Autopilots.
Ekpa has been accused of orchestrating violence and chaos in Nigeria’s South East region.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, the government described Ekpa as a “common criminal, con man, and terrorist” who has exploited the Igbo people while claiming to represent their interests.
RELATED NEWS: Finnish Police Arrest Simon Ekpa Over Terror-Related Allegations
“The Enugu State Government welcomes the arrest of the Finland-based terrorist, Simon Ekpa,” the statement read.
“His arrest and trial will no doubt go a long way in strengthening peace, security, and stability in all parts of the South East.”
The state government accused Ekpa of sponsoring violent activities that have resulted in the loss of lives, destruction of property, and disruption of the region’s economic activities.
It stated that Ekpa’s actions were driven by personal greed and not genuine concern for the Igbo people.
Onyia said, “Ekpa is a murderer and fraudster who delights in killing his people and living large off their misery.
“He thrives on manipulating, exploiting, and extorting the people on the pretext of fighting for their interest and for the restoration of Biafra.”
The government emphasized its readiness to provide evidence of Ekpa’s alleged crimes to support his prosecution, whether in Finland or Nigeria.
“This arrest is in line with the demand of the Governor Peter Mbah Administration, which has repeatedly made it known that Ekpa is a megalomaniac, common criminal, murderer, and fraudster who takes joy in feeding fat on the manipulated emotions of Ndigbo and inflicting misery on the South East region,” the statement added.
The government further criticized Ekpa for fostering a climate of fear and insecurity that has harmed the entrepreneurial spirit and economic growth of the Igbo people.
“Ekpa has for long, and unfortunately from Finland, made a living by creating a siege climate and mentality in the South East, destroying lives, property, and the Igbo trademark of entrepreneurship and hard work,” Onyia said.
The Enugu State Government expressed optimism that Ekpa’s arrest would mark a turning point in the quest for peace and stability in the South East, urging residents to remain vigilant and supportive of ongoing efforts to restore normalcy in the region.
The COP29 presidency has unveiled an ambitious climate finance plan, calling on developed nations to provide $250 billion annually to developing countries by 2035.
The proposal, part of a broader initiative to mobilize $1.3 trillion from public and private sources each year, seeks to address the mounting challenges posed by climate change.
The five-page draft text, released on Friday, emphasizes the need for developed nations to lead the charge in financing climate action.
RELATED NEWS: COP29: Climate Summit Faces Deadlock Over Vague Funding Proposals For Vulnerable Nations
According to the document, this financial commitment is seen as a critical step toward combating the climate crisis and fostering sustainable development globally.
“In this context, it is decided to set a goal in extension of the goal referred to in paragraph 53 of decision 1/CP.21, with developed country Parties taking the lead, to USD 250 billion per year by 2035 for developing country Parties for climate action,” the draft states.
The announcement follows the release of an earlier 10-page draft on Thursday, which drew significant criticism from Global South delegations.
Many expressed frustration that the document lacked clear financial commitments from wealthier nations, falling short of expectations to support adaptation and mitigation efforts.
“There is a clear need to address the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, especially given the diverse circumstances shaping national priorities,” a negotiator from a developing country delegation remarked.
The updated proposal aims to address some of these concerns by outlining more specific targets. However, skepticism remains among some negotiators, who feel the revisions still fail to adequately address their demands.
Meanwhile, developed countries have raised their own reservations about the proposed plan.
A European negotiator, speaking to Reuters, described the $250 billion annual target as unrealistic and criticized the lack of measures to expand the pool of contributing countries.
“No one is comfortable with the number because it’s high, and there’s almost nothing on broadening the contributor base,” the negotiator said.
The mixed reactions underscore the persistent divide between developed and developing nations in climate negotiations.
While the draft text aims to reconcile these differences, the gap between expectations and commitments remains a significant hurdle.
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