The UK government has released a report that shows that the number of dependents of Nigerian students in the UK has reached a record high, surpassing the number from India, which was previously the largest source of student dependents.
According to the report, there were 60,506 dependents of Nigerian nationals in the year ending September 2023, an increase of 59,079 compared to 2019 and 9,435 more visas issued than to main applicants in the same period. Indian nationals had the second highest number of dependents, increasing from 2,127 to 43,445 in the same time period.
The report attributed the increase in dependents to the increase in main applicants, especially those coming for higher education, who are typically older and might have already established a family.
The report also noted that the overall number of families and the portion of all sponsored study-related visas granted to dependents have risen since 2019.
The report comes amid the UK’s announcement in May 2023 that it will implement a dependent visa ban policy from January 2024, which will restrict students who are not applying for doctorate programmes from bringing their family members with them to the UK.
The policy, which was proposed by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, aims to address the housing issues and flow of immigrants in the UK.
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The report also revealed that 486,107 people from India, China, Nigeria, the United States and Pakistan migrated to the UK for study purposes at the end of September 2023.
India topped the list, followed by China, Nigeria, Pakistan and the United States, respectively, among the five countries mentioned.
However, out of the countries, Pakistan had the highest percentage increase, up to 33 percent to 33,150 at the end of September 2023.
Indian nationals accounted for over one-quarter (27%) of all sponsored study grants to main applicants in the latest year.