UK Grants 300,000 Visas to Nigerians in Recent Years, Says British Envoy

Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, has revealed that the United Kingdom has issued 300,000 new visas to Nigerians over the past few years.

Speaking on Channels Television on Monday, Montgomery, who also serves as the UK’s Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), dismissed claims that the UK’s immigration policies are overly restrictive. He emphasized that Nigeria remains one of the major beneficiaries of the UK’s visa policies.

“The UK has granted around 300,000 new visas to Nigerians in the last couple of years, which far exceeds any other visa relationship Nigeria has with any other country,” Montgomery said.

He highlighted the positive trends following Brexit, noting that Nigeria has greatly benefited from the UK’s post-Brexit migration and visa rules. Montgomery also acknowledged the significant contributions of Nigerians to the UK, particularly in sectors like social care. He noted that Nigeria accounted for about 10% of all visas granted by the UK in the past two years.

“Looking at work visas, Nigerians play an incredibly important role in key sectors in the UK, especially in social care,” he said. “The relationship between Nigeria and the UK in terms of visas is huge and surpasses that with any other country in my understanding.”

Montgomery further emphasized that the approval rate for UK visas is high if applicants provide the right documentation. “If you apply with the right evidence and documents, the chances of approval are very high,” he said.

He also noted a significant increase in the number of Nigerians obtaining work visas, which has risen from around 10,000-20,000 annually six or seven years ago to approximately 80,000-90,000 per year in the last two years. However, he acknowledged a reduction in the number of student visas issued.