UK NEWS

Migrants from Nigeria bring most relatives

Suella Braverman, the home secretary, wants to cut net migration
Suella Braverman, the home secretary, wants to cut net migration
ALBERTO PEZZALI/AP

Nigerian migrants face tougher rules on how many relatives they can bring to the UK under Suella Braverman’s plans to cut net migration.

Government sources said the home secretary was considering tightening the rules on dependants after Home Office immigration figures showed a “surprising inconsistency” across different nationalities coming to the UK to work and study.

Nigerian citizens accounted for 40 per cent of all dependants who accompanied foreign students in the 12 months to June. This was despite Nigerian students making up only 7 per cent of all foreign students over the period. On average, Nigerians bring in almost one dependant each, compared with an overall ratio for foreign students of one in six.

In the year to June, 34,031 Nigerians were given study