Hypocrisy of UK student visa restriction

By Efe Agabi

The question that is now vociferously asked is on why the UK is not equally extending the policy to stolen funds invested in the UK and monies deposited in various banks in the UK by corrupt Nigerian politicians. if the UK is so determined to deepen democracy in Nigeria, and improve governance within the spectrum of bilateral relations…

Migration is a critical issue in multilateral relations; as a developing country, we can only hope that the policy is reviewed to allow the “japa’ movement to thrive. The growing recognition of professional emigrant by the Nigerian government could be linked to why a policy was proposed to force doctors to practice in Nigeria for five year before they are given license.

Nigerians spoke in unison to fault the draconian policy given the dingy working environment and poor remuneration for Nigerian doctor. Data show that over 1000 nurses left Nigeria in 2022. Other professionals, skilled and unskilled consider leaving the country as a New Year resolution. The old, young, poor and rich are leaving. it is so serious that the rich do not feel safe in Nigeria again. The gale of kidnapping, banditry and arm robbery has made Nigeria one of the most dangerous countries in the world. When people say they want to japa, it is not entirely because they are poor, in search for job or business, some are just trying to avoid the drudgery of every day traffic congestion and the back and forth policies of the Nigerian political elites. Some are just poised to protecting their mental health from the news of animals swallowing money. But why is the UK worried about the exodus of Nigerians to the UK for solace. A country of over 200 million with the annual population growth of 2.87% according to Dr, Osirike of the University of Benin would have a high rate of emigrants, but why is the Uk singling out Nigeria in the policy to checkmate migration?

It is easy to connect the dots to ask if the Nigerian government is orchestrating a policy in the UK to cripple the japa movement, or force students to return home given the recent policies to keep Nigerian doctors in the dingy hospitals avoided by the political elites when they are ill.

The Uk provided four major reasons why the migration policy is expedient, two of the four reasons are specifically drawn from the exodus of Nigeria to the Uk, one is that Nigeria has the highest number of foreigners in the country after China and India, and the highest in Africa, two, that Nigerians should be stopped from dominating the UK economy. The other reason that does not specifically mention Nigeria is that the UK tends to improve their economy, thus the need for the policy.

The UK cannot be interested in sustaining our ailing and crippled democracy that is not working for the Nigerian people, feign oblivion when electioneering processes are manipulated, and human rights violated and stop Nigerians intending to leave the country with their families from leaving. It is the height of hypocrisy a joke taken too far. The desperation to leave the country to find solace in the UK is fallout of the decades of inept governance with attendant high rate of unemployment, over ten million out of school children, rising insecurity, malnutrition, epileptic power and a difficult business environment and the list is endless.

The question that is now vociferously asked is on why the UK is not equally extending the policy to stolen funds invested in the UK and monies deposited in various banks in the UK by corrupt Nigerian politicians. if the UK is so determined to deepen democracy in Nigeria, and improve governance within the spectrum of bilateral relations, why are they not raising policies for immediate investigation and forfeiture of stolen funds invested in the UK to the Nigerian government for the purposes of infrastructural development and job creation to keep Nigerians at home, why is the policy not extended to the frequent visit of corrupt politicians to the UK for medical care when healthcare facilities in Nigeria are deplorable. It can be hypothesized that the UK is aware of the harsh economic conditions in Nigeria and imminent exodus of Nigerians to the Uk, thus hurriedly trying to nip it in the bud. While Nigerians are still in suspense on how the Nigerian government would respond to the migration policies, it is expedient for the UN and related international organisations, and individuals with the clout to interrogate the policy and its implication for globalization

Efe Agabi is a Public Affairs Analyst.