"Top Grades or Out": UK Reportedly Set to Deport Nigerian Students, Others Over Poor Results

• Nigerian students studying in the United Kingdom may be deported back to the country over poor academic performance
• This is because the UK is reportedly planning to review the graduate visa amid concerns it was fuelling immigration and was open to abuse.
• It was reported that the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, urged the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the two-year graduate visas

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 5 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide

United Kingdom- A government’s top adviser in the United Kingdom has said foreign students could be deposited from the country if they fail to achieve high enough grades

According to the UK Telegraph, the Home Secretary, James Cleverly, has called on the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) to review the two-year graduate visas.

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It was gathered that the review is part of a five-point plan to reduce net migration by 300,000 from its record-high levels.

The newspaper reported that there has been an increase of 42,000 or 74 per cent in just a year after more than 98,000 students were granted two-year visas to remain in the UK after their graduation.

It is believed that the student visa has become a backdoor route to work in the UK.

The Chairman of the MAC, Professor Brian Bell, said the committee is considering coming up with a rule that students must achieve high grades or achievement in their courses to remain in the country.

“That’s the question we want to review in the graduate route to think about whether that’s sensible or whether you should have a rule that says you have to achieve a certain grade or a certain kind of achievement in your course.”

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Professor Bell said MAC would consider if the graduate via should be “primarily” limited to highly skilled graduate workers.

He did attempt the graduate visa as an attractive selling point to bring in students that could boost university finances.

Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister, called for scrapping or overhauling of the graduate visa.

Jenrick said:

“The graduate route is ripe for comprehensive reform. Too many universities have fallen into the migration, rather than education business, and are marketing low grade, short courses as a backdoor to life in the UK.”

Nigerian students, others reportedly deregistered by UK universities

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that foreign students studying in the United Kingdom (UK), including Nigerians, have allegedly been deregistered by many universities and advised to leave the country.

This was disclosed in a post on X on Saturday, December 9, by Benjamin Kuti, the president of the Nigerians in UK Community (NIUK).

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Nigerian billionaires, investors affected as Netherlands ends important visa scheme

Nigerian students, others banned from bringing families to UK

Rishi Sunak, the UK prime minister, announced some measures to cut down immigration.

In a tweet sighted by Legit.ng, Sunak said immigration to the UK is too high and announced measures to bring it down.

Among others, Sunak announced that the UK government is banning overseas students (Nigerians also to be affected) from bringing their families to the country.

Source: Legit.ng