The United Kingdom government is reportedly considering tougher visa requirements for Nigerian nationals as part of a broader effort to tighten immigration controls and address alleged abuse of the asylum system.
According to The Times, Nigeria is among a group of countries—including Pakistan and Sri Lanka—whose citizens may soon face more stringent criteria when applying for work or study visas to the UK.
The proposed changes come amid concerns within the Home Office that some migrants, after legally entering the country, later file asylum claims as a means to remain permanently. While official figures on visa overstays have not been released since 2020 due to ongoing data reviews, UK ministers believe intelligence indicates a pattern of misuse involving transitions from temporary visas to asylum applications.
“To tackle abuse by foreign nationals who arrive on work and study visas and go on to claim asylum, we are building intelligence on the profile of these individuals to identify them earlier and faster,” a Home Office spokesperson said.
Details of the proposed visa restrictions are expected in an upcoming Immigration White Paper, which officials say will outline a “comprehensive plan to restore order to our broken immigration system.”
Nigerian nationals have consistently ranked among the top non-EU applicants for UK visas across categories such as study, employment, and family reunification. However, British authorities now suggest that a portion of these applications may be used as a route to gain asylum status, rather than for their stated purposes.
Professor Jonathan Portes, a senior fellow at UK in a Changing Europe, commented on the political motivations behind the policy but questioned its effectiveness. “The impact that restricting visas would have on the number of asylum applications is likely to be quite small. This is more about addressing perceptions of abuse than significantly altering migration figures,” he told the BBC.
Net migration into the UK remains high, with 728,000 people arriving in the year to June 2024—a decline from the 906,000 recorded the previous year. The drop is partly attributed to recent policy changes under the Conservative government, such as raising the minimum salary threshold for skilled workers and preventing care workers from bringing dependants.
The Labour government, led by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, has pledged further reforms aimed at reducing both legal and illegal migration. Pressure has intensified following recent local election gains by the anti-immigration Reform UK party.
If implemented, the proposed visa restrictions could significantly impact Nigerian students and professionals hoping to pursue academic or career opportunities in the United Kingdom.
