Britain is planning to force visitors from India, Pakistan, Nigeria and other countries whose nationals are deemed to pose a “high risk” of immigration abuse to provide a cash bond before they can enter the country, a report said Sunday.
The Sunday Times newspaper said that from November, a pilot scheme would target visitors from those three countries plus Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ghana.
Visitors aged 18 and over would be forced to hand over £3,000 ($4,600, 3,500 euros) from November for a six-month visit visa.
They will forfeit the money if they overstay in Britain after their visa has expired.
Initially the scheme will target hundreds of visitors, but the plan is to extend it to several thousand, according to the broadsheet’s front-page report.
The weekly paper said the move by Home Secretary Theresa May is designed to show that Prime Minister David Cameron’s Conservative Party is serious about cutting immigration and abuses of the system.
The populist United Kingdom Independence Party has been encroaching on the Conservatives’ traditional core vote in recent months.
Cameron wants annual net migration down below 100,000 by 2015.
“This is the next step in making sure our immigration system is more selective, bringing down net migration from the hundreds of thousands to the tens of thousands while still welcoming the brightest and the best to Britain,” May was quoted as saying.
“In the long run we’re interested in a system of bonds that deters overstaying and recovers costs if a foreign national has used our public services.”
A Home Office official said the six countries highlighted were those with “the most significant risk of abuse”.
Last year 296,000 people granted six-month visas were from India, 101,000 from Nigeria, 53,000 from Pakistan and 14,000 each were from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
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Rubbish. I don't blame them. Its the fault of the Nigerian Government.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the figures but can they say how many overstayed, ask them that question and watch their blank expressions.
ReplyDeletePlease can we "Nigerians" leave their so called country for them?....coz soon,they will beg for our visit.if only we can understand that it will happen sooner than we think.we have the resources,they have exhausted theirs.so,let's leave them to watch and see.they will beg for our visit.
ReplyDeleteWhich country is making that noise?...britain?...I laugh.if only we "nigerians" will understand that we don't need them,rather they need us.which they will soon beg for our visit.£3.000 indeed.
ReplyDeleteBritain is making a big mistake about Nigeria. However, our corrupt leaders are not helping matters.
ReplyDeleteThis is a lesson for Nigerians at home and abroad to help each other more.
Can you imagine Britain without natural resources like Nigeria? This is a challenge to Nigerian leaders who refuse to develop the country.
What do they have to offer? if the Nigerian Government improves our educational system, what would most Nigerians be looking for in that country?
ReplyDeleteNa fence wey fall make Goat fit climb am. if only our OGAs AT THE TOP will see all these rubbish. But they won't cos are busy looting us dry. I only hope that our leaders will one be those who has shame and understands when they are insulted or applauded.
ReplyDeleteMy fellow Nigerians, this gesture of the British government should not come to us as a surprise. In the 1970s, Nigerians were visa free to the UK and no Nigerian want to stay in the UK. In fact, the UK government wanted Nigerians to stay in their country at that time after studies but only very few took the opportunity because it was far better to return home. Also, in 1970s, the conversion rate of Nigerian Naira to UK Pound was 75 kobo to 1 British pound.
ReplyDeleteWhat has changed since 1970s? Well, it is good to relate history to this time so that we can measure our progress as a people and as a nation.
Corruption in the 1970s in Nigeria was very much unknown and unpopular. At that time, very few Nigerians want to be politicians because various professionals in the country were gainfully employed and contributing to the development of the country economically, socially and many more. Nigerians who went to the UK for studies, returned home in a flash without spending more than one day than necessary. Who want to stay in the cold? Who want to avoid the brilliant opportunities waiting at home? Most students who bothered to study in Britain then were sponsored by the Nigerian government or foreign scholarships. At that time, universities in Nigeria were the envy of the whole world and many African countries trained their children in Nigeria.
It is time for our leaders to bring sanity to the situation in the country. Our problem is not religion. Our problem is not our diverse ethnicity. Our problem is corruption. Our children and youths of today have been born into corruption. We have plenty money but corruption has robbed us of every good thing such as professionalism, expert skills and more. Our expert Nigerian brothers and sisters abroad can turn our situation around if we give them the chance.
Our leaders can take the action of the British government as a challenge. There is no reason why our leaders cannot build mass housing facilities in major cities of Nigeria and collect low rent from occupants. Nigerians who are able to purchase their own house can then purchase their own later. If we develop many small communities within the city and towns, development will spread all over the city, towns and beyond. Property prices will stabilize if uniform development apply in all states. Jobs will be available within small communities.
In Abuja today, many Nigerians work in the city but commute from outside the city. The situation is bad with traffic build up and overcrowding beginning to show in the city centre. The solution is to develop small communities in the city with government mass housing scheme. The mass housing development should extend to smaller towns like Kuje, Gwagwalada and beyond with good community transport links. The mass housing scheme should not replace private sector developments as people are still free to build or purchase their own private home without any impediment.
If accommodation is available at reasonable price, many Nigerians abroad will be able to return home freely and contribute their expert and professional skills to increase economic development at home. If that can happen, we will surely return to the 1970s days and better development will spread throughout all sectors and states in the country. Everybody will contribute their little quota to the development of the country.
Let us help ourselves to put an end to this shameful British gesture.
You are so on point!
DeleteYOU ARE TRUTHFULLY RIGHT....even my dad got a job there then,but due to nigeria then was like USA now,my dad rejected the offer and stayed.
DeleteI've always wonder what Nigerians planted in Britain that they so want to go and pluck. What is the benefit of going to a country with Triple Deep recession? To do what exactly?
ReplyDeleteSry pls is it for only first timers(6months)or somebdy dat has bn to the UK before and wats to renew for 2yrs pls I need to knowwwww I don dey cry for here ooo(calabar girl say so mbok)
ReplyDelete