UK Government Acknowledge Visa Application Spike by Nigerians
According to Catriona Laing, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, more Nigerians are currently seeking for visas to the UK.
Ms. Laing said the UK government was aware of the situation and was in communication with the Nigerian government to prevent brain-drain, particularly in the health sector, in an interview on Sunday in Abuja.
Ms. Laing highlighted her happiness that Nigerians, particularly students, have chosen the UK as an attractive location and said that the UK is ready to welcome talents.
You know, there are undoubtedly people of Nigerian descent in the UK. People like to travel to places where they have friends or family. Second, it is undoubtedly made much simpler by the English language.
Education comes in third, and those who have studied will desire to do it again. And I believe that you understand that we are a friendly nation and that we wish to welcome talent, whether it be individuals arriving to work or study.
Therefore, many Nigerians will be watching events in the UK, and we have really noticed a significant surge in demand for student visas for Nigerians. That is partially due to the fact that we modified our policy.
As a result, it is now simpler for Nigerian students to stay in the country after completing their studies. If they have completed a master’s or PhD, they may stay for up to two years, which would allow them to hunt for employment.
Right now, there is a labor shortage in the UK. However, we need to strike a balance because you also need talented individuals, and we don’t want to be the cause of a major brain drain from Nigeria.
According to Ms. Laing, “the National Health Service is an example where there are a lot of Nigerian medics, both nurses and doctors.”
Ms. Laing explained that the UK was working with Rwanda to improve migration in response to the question of why it was sending asylum seekers there.
In collaboration with the Rwandan government, we have developed a policy to promote migration. However, it is currently being contested in court.
Therefore, dealing with what is, to put it mildly, a massive challenge, is just one aspect of the process.
Like you see on the news, these boats are crossing the channel every day carrying migrants from other nations, and it is a major, huge problem.
It takes a while to process their applications because they had to locate housing when they arrived.
Therefore, we fully acknowledge that there are a large number of real refugees from nations like Syria, especially from South Sudan and Eritrea in Africa, who are escaping terrible persecution.
Therefore, Ms. Laing explained, “the Rwanda policy is only one of many that we are attempting to put in place to handle this extremely hard challenge.”
