The United Kingdom’s government has said it did not reject around 430,000 visa applications from Nigerians this year.
The British High Commission in Nigeria shared this information on their Twitter page on Friday, August 9, 2024.
This came after a report from NIDCOM, saying they discussed visa issues with UK official Dr. Montgomery and Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM).
Visa Applications
According to NIDCOM, Montgomery said, “about 430,000 Nigerian visa applications have been successfully processed in 2024.”
They also talked about the protests in the UK. The British representative assured Nigerian people living in the UK that they are safe.
“The UK is a place for people from many different countries. We welcome those who want to live, study, and work. We won’t tolerate discrimination or attacks on any community,” said Montgomery.
Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of NIDCOM, said, “No Nigerians have been harmed in the unrest so far.” She confirmed they’re in close contact with the Nigerian High Commission in London and other groups who also report no injuries.
She thanked the UK government for quickly making arrests and advised Nigerians to stay safe, alert, and follow travel advice from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Due to recent violent protests in the UK, the Nigerian government gave a travel warning. They advise Nigerians visiting the UK to be careful.
The UK Clarifies
In a tweet, the UK government corrected NIDCOM’s statement about visa approvals.
They said that from April 2023 to March 2024, they issued 255,000 visas to Nigerians.
The UK government tweeted:
“CORRECTION: @UKinNigeria issued 255,000 of all types of UK visas from April 2023 to March 2024.”
What You Should Know
- Newslodge reported that study visas for Nigerians dropped by 38% from March 2023 to March 2024.
- This happened after a rule change in January 2024, which limited dependents for international students except in research programs.
- The number of visas for Nigerians fell from 50,000 to 45,000. The overall issuance peaked in June 2023 but has slightly decreased since.