The United Kingdom (UK) has disclosed that it granted 132,000 visas to Nigerians in the first half of this year. This information was provided by Jonny Baxter, the British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, during the weekend.
However, Baxter did not immediately provide the total number of visa applications received from Nigerians during the same period. The issuance of such a significant number of visas underscores the strong ties and travel connections between the UK and Nigeria.
He said: “In the first half of the year, we granted approximately 132,000 visas, and those are all sorts of visas, which include visit, work and study visas.
“In the previous year, we issued about 324,000 visas. The UK, in that year, issued about three million visas, out of which 324,000 were issued to Nigerians, which is about 10 percent.
“If you think about Nigeria’s population, relative to the world, that’s actually a higher proportion taking up those visas and coming to the UK, which, in my view, is a good thing.”
“The UK has a huge number of Nigerian students in the country. In terms of foreign students, Nigeria is second only to India.
“We welcome and value Nigerians that have come to the UK to study or settle, as long as they are coming through legal routes, and it is important that the country’s rules are followed and respected.”
NAN
