Since Keir Starmer of the Labour Party was elected as the United Kingdom’s new prime minister on July 5, international Students, including Nigerians have been hoping for a more friendly immigration policy. Earlier, Rishi Sunak the former Prime minister aimed at canceling the graduate visa route. This plan was to control the high immigration numbers and minimise the number of immigrants who use the graduate visa route to immigrate to the UK which authorities claim has been used as a back door for entry into the UK.
However, a report by the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) recommended that the UK’s graduate visa route “remains in place in its current form”, as universities across the UK might experience substantial financial difficulty leading to job losses, course closures, and a reduction in research in case the visa is stopped.
You will also like...
Earlier this year, the number of UK study visa applications dropped to record lows after the previous government brought in rules banning masters-taught students from bringing dependents.
It is also predicted that a decline in students’ enrollments, who are mostly Indians, Chinese, and Nigerians will see some of the institutions shutting down or risking a budget deficit if the graduate visa route is abolished.
Responding to questions about the dire financial situation of many UK universities, the secretary of state for Education, Bridget Phillipson didn’t rule out the possibility of an increase in tuition fees in line with inflation and denied that the government would only act as a “lender of last resort”.
“Universities are autonomous and there are expectations around how they manage their budgets, I would expect them to do that without seeking any calls on the taxpayer.
The coming to the saddle by Labour Party has brought some rays of hope for Nigerians planning to study in the UK and expecting other immigrant-friendly policy changes, such that will allow international postgraduate research students to bring their dependents to the country.
What’s your thought about this?
Like, comment, follow, and share.
