British High Commissioner, Richard Montgomery
High Commissioner says UK granted 300,000 new visas to Nigerians in ‘last couple of years’
The United Kingdom granted 300,000 new visas to Nigerians in “last couple of years”.
The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, who disclosed this on Channels Television programme, Sunrise, emphasised that Nigeria is a major beneficiary of the UK’s visa policies.
Indeed, the High Commissioner’s revelation would seem to debunk claims in some quarters that the UK’s immigration policies are harsh.
According to Montgomery, “I have to contest this picture because the UK in the last couple of years has granted around 300,000 new visas to Nigerians which far exceeds any other visa relationship which Nigeria has with any other country.
“The trends have been really positive post-Brexit. Nigeria has been a major beneficiary of the post-Brexit migration visa rules.”
He highlighted the contributions of Nigerians in the UK and described their efforts as “incredibly important”.
“And if you look at say the number of people getting work visas in the UK, these people play an incredibly important role in certain sectors, particularly our social care sector,” he said.
He said Nigeria accounts for about 10% of visas granted by the UK in the last two years.
Montgomery, also the UK Permanent Representative to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), said, “So, I would like to emphasize how huge the relationship is. It outstrips any other visa relationship that Nigeria has with any other single country in my understanding.”
He insisted that with the right documentation, the chances of getting visa approval from the UK are high.
“If you apply with the right documentation and the right evidence, the approval rate is very high,” Montgomery added.
He also disclosed that the number of people getting work visas to the UK has gone up in the last couple of years.
“The number of people getting work visas that go to the UK has gone from something like 10 to 20,000 in about six, seven years ago to 80-90,000 a year in the last two years – last year and this year,” said.