LONDON – The United Kingdom’s decision to ban international students from bringing students to the country has generated criticism for the regime with strong-worded comments from both sides.
As per recent policy changes, Rishi Sunak’s government has declared that only international students pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) will be eligible to bring dependants into the United Kingdom.
The decision invited criticism with some saying that the decision is wise considering the record immigration numbers and the possibility of abuse of the visa.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery has now disclosed the reason behind such a ban during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
In his comments on Sunday, the Envoy highlighted that the decision was made to address “unsustainable pressures” placed on the universities and social services due to the increasing number of dependants.
“The decision to restrict dependants for students in higher education aims to address the unsustainable pressures placed on universities due to the surge in dependant numbers,” Montgomery explained.
The official highlighted the pressure on accommodation, medical services provided by the National Health Service (NHS), and schooling for dependants as key concerns that prompted the government to promulgate such legislation.
Montgomery said that the policy introduced earlier this year specifically targets students pursuing short-term degrees.
“Those coming to the UK for an undergraduate degree or a short-term master’s degree will find the rules have changed,” he said.
The High Commissioner continued that individuals pursuing long-term research degrees, like a PhD, can still bring their dependants.
‘This change was necessary to maintain the sustainability of our large higher education sector, which spans many towns across the country,’ Montgomery added.
The government has recently introduced a series of measures to discourage immigration including raising the minimum salary threshold for Skilled Worker Visa. The government had also disclosed to review the Graduate Visa though the Migration Advisory Committee has advised against scraping the program.
