France, UK, Canada stop Nigerian students from bringing families
France has imposed immigration restrictions on Nigerian and international students with new legislation that will stop them from bringing their families to the country.
The legislation ratified by the French parliament on Friday establishes an additional stringent immigration policy, which imposes hindrances on migrants seeking to bring family members to France and prolongs their eligibility for welfare benefits.
Additionally, the detention of minors in detention centres was prohibited, and leaders of one-third of French regions declared their noncompliance with specific provisions of the legislation.
In determining eligibility for benefits, a contentious provision discriminates between citizens and migrants, including those legally present in the country.
United Kingdom
Similar to the United Kingdom's implementation of a no-dependence restriction on international students in May, this new immigration policy requires Nigerian students to seek alternative destinations for their Japa plans.
The decision of the United Kingdom government was prompted by the extraordinary increase in net migration, which has surpassed one million people. Conservative Members of Parliament were compelled to implore Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to address the situation immediately and regain control over immigration figures.
Nigerian students, who have historically constituted a significant portion of the international student population in the United Kingdom, have begun to explore alternative options within the European region, specifically France. However, this recent development is reducing their available choices.
The skilled migrant visa, which is considered a more favourable alternative to the UK, has also undergone some changes.
Canada
In addition to France and the United Kingdom, the Canadian government announced in December that international students will be required to present new evidence of funds of ₦16,050,000.000000 ($20,000) beginning in January 2024.
The revised expense surpasses the existing stipulation of $10,000 by more than twofold. This threshold was established in the early 2000s and has not been modified since then.
A single applicant will be required to provide evidence of $20,635, which is equivalent to 75% of LICO, in addition to their initial year's tuition and travel expenses for the year 2024.
However, until April 30, 2024, the government has extended the exemption from the 20-hour per week employment cap for international students.
This extension is exclusively granted to students who are currently enrolled in Canada or who have submitted an application for a study permit as of December 7th, 2023.The measure, which was initially proposed on November 15, 2022, was scheduled to remain in effect until December 31, 2023. It grants pupils the opportunity to exceed the customary 20-hour workweek during class hours.
