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.
The South-West Coordinating Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG), Adegoke Fayoade, has reassured Nigerians that the abducted pupils and teachers in Oyo State will soon regain their freedom as security agencies intensify rescue operations.
Speaking during an official working visit to the Lagos State Police Command Headquarters in Ikeja on Monday, Fayoade expressed confidence that ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies and government authorities would yield positive results in the shortest possible time.
According to him, all available resources are being deployed to secure the safe release of the victims, while security operatives remain focused on rescue efforts rather than engaging in discussions about ransom demands.
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“All agencies, including government authorities, are working tirelessly. I can assure Nigerians that within the shortest possible time, the children and their teachers will be free,” the DIG stated.
Fayoade dismissed reports suggesting that the abductors had altered their demands, insisting that the police were unaware of any negotiations involving ransom payments or the release of suspected accomplices.
“We do not discuss ransom. Our priority is ensuring the safe rescue of those in captivity,” he said.
The senior police officer explained that his visit to Lagos was part of a broader strategy to strengthen supervision across police commands in the South-West and engage officers on effective approaches to tackling emerging security threats.
He disclosed that discussions with officers centered on manpower development, welfare improvement, and operational efficiency.
Fayoade noted that the ongoing recruitment of 40,000 police personnel would help address manpower shortages across the country, while improved welfare packages would boost officers’ morale and effectiveness.
The DIG also highlighted the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to adopting modern technology in crime fighting.
He revealed that efforts were underway to complete a central data centre that would enable security agencies to share intelligence and improve crime detection nationwide.
He added that the force was preparing to introduce artificial intelligence into criminal investigations and intelligence gathering to enhance policing and improve response times.
“Technology remains a major priority. Very soon, our officers will begin specialized training on the use of artificial intelligence in investigations and intelligence operations,” he said.
Fayoade further urged members of the public to cooperate with law enforcement agencies, stressing that effective policing requires mutual trust and respect between officers and citizens.
The assurance comes amid growing concern from parents and residents over the fate of the abducted pupils and teachers, with many hoping for a swift and safe resolution to the incident.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation on Monday after less than two years in office, in a term characterised by policy U-turns and deep public unpopularity.
“Every decision I have taken has been about putting the country I love first. That is why I will resign as leader of the Labour Party,” Starmer said as he choked up in an emotional speech outside 10 Downing Street.
Starmer said the process of picking a new leader for the centre-left party would be launched in July, and he would remain as prime minister until his successor is chosen, to be in place before parliament returns from the summer recess in September.
Starmer’s main rival, veteran politician Andy Burnham, is due to be sworn in as a member of parliament on Monday after winning a crucial special election on Thursday, allowing him to return to parliament and clearing his path to run for party leader.
“I will remain in post as prime minister until the contest is complete, and I will do everything I can to ensure an orderly handover of power,” Starmer added.
Until the weekend, Starmer had insisted he was going to fight on and remain as prime minister as he fought off challenges and calls to step down.
He has clung to that position for months after multiple scandals and high-profile resignations that piled the pressure on him and his Labour Party.
But Britain is now set to get its seventh prime minister in a decade.
Starmer’s widely anticipated announcement comes a day before the 10-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which triggered the UK’s exit from the European Union and an unprecedented churn of prime ministers.
Starmer has been credited with reshaping Labour into an election-winning party, which clinched a decisive victory in 2024, ending 14 years of Conservative rule.
But his term was derailed by missteps ranging from benefit cuts to criticism over defence spending plans.
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He was nearly ousted in March over his ill-fated decision to appoint Peter Mandelson, a known associate of the late US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the UK’s ambassador to Washington.
He has also struggled to fight off the rapid rise of the far-right, anti-immigration Reform UK party — which defeated Labour in local elections in May, further weakening Starmer’s position.
“I will also give my successor my full and unequivocal support, knowing that they will inherit a Britain that is far stronger and fairer than the one I inherited two years ago,” Starmer said in his resignation speech.
Courtesy – AFP
Gunmen have killed a former staff member of Ogun State Television, Mrs. Kitan Oyesiku, popularly known as “Aunty Kitan,” alongside her security guard in a violent early morning attack in Agodo community along the Abeokuta–Siun–Sagamu Expressway in Ogun State.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of Sunday, threw residents of the area into panic and mourning as news of the killings spread across the community.
The victims were reportedly attacked inside their residence by unknown armed men who stormed the compound and carried out the operation before fleeing the scene.
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The security guard on duty was also killed during the invasion.
The attack took place within the Abeokuta axis of Abeokuta, raising fresh concerns over insecurity in parts of the state.
The bodies of the deceased have since been deposited at the morgue of the State Hospital, Ijaiye, Abeokuta.
As of press time, the motive behind the attack remains unclear, while security agencies are expected to launch a full-scale investigation into the incident.
An anonymous source who spoke on the development said the incident was discovered after concerned church members went to check on the deceased when she failed to appear at church service.
The source said: “They had come around to check on Mrs Oyesiku when they did not see her in the church. On getting to her residence, they found out that the security officer had been killed, and they later also saw that the assailants had also killed Mrs Oyesiku. That was how they raised the alarm in the community.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Ogun State Police Command confirmed the incident and said an official statement would be issued after preliminary investigations.
Mrs. Oyesiku, a former broadcaster with the state-owned television station, was well known in media circles before her retirement.
Her death has sparked grief among colleagues, friends, and residents across Ogun State, as calls mount for improved security in the area.
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