Nigerian migrants bringing highest number of relatives to the UK

 Nigerians accounted for 40% of all dependants who accompanied foreign students in the 12 months to June - despite Nigerian students making up just 7% of all foreign students in that period, according to Home Office figures.

Some 34,000 Nigerians were given study visas in the UK, bringing with them a total of 31,898 dependants. A similar ratio was recorded for work visas, with 8,972 Nigerians issued with one in the 12 months to June bringing with them 8,576 dependants.

By comparison, 114,837 Chinese students who came to the UK last year brought with them a total of 401 dependants - while 93,049 Indian students came to Britain with  24,916 dependants, the figures show. 

The Home Office are apparently considering imposing a cap on the number of children that foreign students can bring in a bid to cut unskilled migration.

Dependants can work without the same level of criteria that other migrants must meet. 

In August it emerged that Nigerian students have become the third largest foreign student group in the UK, following in the footsteps of India and China - after a seismic 686% increase since before the pandemic.

Home Office figures reveal 65,929 Nigerian nationals were granted a sponsored study visa in the year ending June 2022 - a rise of 57,545 (686% ) compared to 2019, when 8,384 were given.

There were 117,965 grants to Indian nationals this year, an increase of 215% compared to 2019. 

Chinese nationals were the second most common nationality with 115,056 visas granted, albeit 4% lower than 2019.

Overall, international student numbers have risen by 71% over that period, with 486,868 student visas granted to main applicants and their dependents in the year up to June - 202,147 more than 2019.