Between 2021 and 2023, over 1,425 international students who had secured admission to universities in the United Kingdom were denied entry at UK airports, according to data from the UK Home Office. Among these, 161 were Nigerian students, representing 11.3% of the total denials.
Indian students faced the highest number of rejections with 644 cases, accounting for 45% of the total. The data, covering the period from October 2021 to October 2023, reveals a troubling trend for international students, particularly from Nigeria, India, Ghana, and Bangladesh.
Ghana followed Nigeria with 92 students (6.46%) denied entry, and Bangladesh with 90 students (6.32%).
The UK Home Office did not specify the exact reasons for these denials but noted common issues such as students' inability to satisfy Border Force officers during airport checks, the presentation of forged documents, and deficiencies in English language proficiency.
These denials occurred despite students having already secured admission and visas to study in the UK.
Immigration lawyer Dele Olawanle criticized the actions of Border Force officers, arguing that they have overstepped their roles by questioning students on academic matters, a task typically reserved for university officials.
In a social media post, Olawanle stated, "These officers have no business questioning students about their courses. That is the job of the universities."
A Nigerian data analyst, Nelly Okechukwu, shared his experience, recounting how a Border Force officer quizzed him about a course he had completed over a decade earlier. He narrowly escaped having his entry denied.
This report comes amid a surge in the number of Nigerian students enrolling in UK universities. Data from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) indicates that Nigerian student numbers rose from 44,195 in the 2021/2022 academic year to 72,355 in the 2022/2023 academic year.
Nigerian students and their dependents contributed an estimated £1.9 billion to the UK economy in the 2021/2022 academic session, shows the economic impact of international students.
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