Between 2021 and 2023, at least 1,425 international students were denied entry to the UK, with 161 of these being Nigerians. India had the highest number of affected students at 644, representing 45% of the total. The data, covering October 2021 to October 2023, only includes those denied entry at airports and does not account for deportations due to visa violations or academic misconduct.
The Home Office did not provide specific reasons for the removals. Sources suggest issues such as failing to convince Border Force officers, presenting forged documents, and poor English proficiency may have been factors.
North London immigration lawyer Dele Olawanle criticized the situation, stating, “UK border officers have turned themselves into university officials at the point of entry by questioning students entering the UK to start their course on some aspects of the course they are going to start.
“If they do not answer correctly, they have their visas cancelled, and some are removed from the UK. Sad! I have had three instructions on that in the last 24 hours.”
“It is not their job because most of these students were interviewed by the university before being offered a place on the course. Most of these Border Force officers have not even been to university and are not qualified to examine these foreign students on their academic knowledge,” Olawanle added.
“After going through a 16-hour flight, a border officer asked for my transcript, which I presented, and this lady started asking me to tell her about a course I studied in my 200-level in the university. A university I graduated from since 2012,” shared Nelly Okechukwu, a data analyst, who had a similar experience.
In the 2021/2022 academic year, 679,970 international students were enrolled in UK universities, with Nigeria having 44,195 students out of 68,320 African students. By the 2022/2023 academic year, Nigerian students had increased to 72,355.
Nigerian students and their dependents contributed around £1.9 billion to the UK economy in 2021/2022, while international students contributed £41.9 billion overall.
Universities UK International stated it could not comment on the data, noting, “We are not a government agency or sponsor. So, we don’t hold data on this and therefore can’t comment.” They added that those denied entry represented less than 0.01% of all study visa holders.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission reported no incidents of unjust student removals, with spokesperson Abdulrahman Balogun stating, “No student has ever reported being rejected at the port of entry for no just cause.”
Emmanuel Gbadega from Story Across Globe explained that students might be rejected if they cannot explain their purpose or appear suspicious, saying, “You can be rejected by the Border Force when you look suspicious; probably they find out that you are not coming to study.
“The students could have been rejected as a result of incompetence; they could have failed an interview.” Gbadega advised that students removed at the port of entry could seek refunds from their universities.
Immigration lawyer Adeola Oyinlade urged Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NIDCOM to address the issue and advised students to comply with entry decisions to avoid a 10-year ban.
Dr. Yemi Opemuti explained that the Border Force’s actions were within regulations, stating, “When you are issued a visa from your country of origin, it’s conditional and subject to the approval of customs or immigration agents in your country of destination.
“A visa can be cancelled based on the response of the migrant to an interview at the entry point. They have the right to deny you entry or deport you if you cannot give them convincing answers to their queries.”
The UK Home Affairs and British High Commission in Nigeria did not respond to inquiries sent on August 14.
The number of Nigerians studying in the UK has declined due to a ban on student visa dependents effective January 2024 and the naira’s devaluation, which has impacted financial capabilities.
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