
Foreign
UK study visas issued to Nigerians fell by 38% year-on-year in March 2024

The latest data released by the United Kingdom Home Office has revealed a 38% decline in study visas issued to Nigerians between March 2023 and March 2024.
The report particularly focuses on the decline in the number of study visas issued to applicants from India and Nigeria, which are the UK’s two major markets for study visas.
Visas issued to applicants from India fell by 16% for the same time period.
NairaMetrics learns that this decline appears to be closely tied to the rule change in January 2024, which now restricts international students from bringing dependents unless they are enrolled in research-focused postgraduate programs.
What the report indicates
Visa issuances to main applicants (excluding dependents) dropped by just over 6% year-over-year and 10% compared to the peak in June 2023.
These patterns suggest a shifting trend in visa applications and issuances, influenced by various factors, including policy changes and broader global conditions.
The interplay between the growth of main applicant visas and the corresponding rise and fall of dependent visas painted a nuanced picture of international mobility and the evolving landscape of study visas in the UK.
The Home Office reported,
“After a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of visas issued increased sharply, reaching a peak of 498,626 in the year ending June 2023. The latest year saw a slight decrease to 446,924.”
“In the year ending March 2024, there were 111,481 visas issued to student dependents, a 25% decrease from the previous year but nearly seven times higher than in 2019.
“The number of dependents has grown faster than main applicants in recent years, peaking in March 2023 with approximately three dependents for every ten main applicants.
“Both main applicants and dependents have since declined, with a faster rate of decrease for dependents in the first quarter of 2024. In the year ending March 2024, 20% of sponsored study visas were issued to dependents.”
A significant majority of UK study visas are issued for graduate studies (66% of main applicants for the year ending March 2024), with another 25% issued to undergraduate enrollees.
However, the modest decline in visa issuances through March might signal a larger trend. The Home Office earlier reported a 44% drop in study visa applications in the first three months of 2024 compared to the same period last year.
The downturn follows significant growth in visa volumes since 2016, which was mirrored by an increase in visas for dependents.
Summary of the report
In the period spanning from March 2019 to March 2024, applicants from Nigeria experienced a notable upward trajectory in the number of visas granted, starting from a modest base.
Initially, in March 2019, the number of visas issued to Nigerians stood at approximately 10,000.
Over the ensuing years, this figure witnessed a steady and significant increase.
By March 2023, the number of visas granted had risen to about 50,000, marking a fivefold increase from the 2019 baseline.
This upward trend, however, did not persist without fluctuation. By March 2024, there was a slight decline, with the number of visas issued to Nigerians dropping to around 45,000.
Source: Nairametrics
Foreign
South Africa Anti-Immigration Group Sets September 30 Deadline for Undocumented Foreigners

South Africa’s anti-immigration group, March and March, has announced September 30 as a fresh deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country, as it staged a protest outside the Southern African Development Community (SADC) summit in Durban on Monday.
The group marched through central Durban under the theme, “It’s time to fetch your people,” calling on African leaders attending the 46th SADC Summit to take back their citizens living in South Africa without legal documentation.
March and March had earlier led nationwide protests on June 30, demanding tougher government action against undocumented immigration and warning that its campaign would continue until its demands were addressed.
Announcing its latest action, the group said the September 30 deadline would mark the beginning of what it described as the “mother of all protests”, while urging South Africans to assist the police in identifying undocumented foreigners.
The protest took place as the 46th Ordinary SADC Summit of Heads of State and Government got underway in Durban, with leaders from the regional bloc’s 16 member states in attendance.
The demonstration has renewed debate over South Africa’s treatment of foreign nationals, particularly citizens of other African countries.
President Cyril Ramaphosa recently condemned discrimination and violence against foreigners, saying South Africa could not advocate regional integration at the SADC summit while practising exclusion within the country.
The June 30 protests were accompanied by security operations and reports of attacks and looting in some areas, according to police reports cited in the original report.
March and March has continued to demand tougher action against undocumented immigration, while tensions over the treatment of foreign nationals have prompted some African countries to evacuate their citizens from South Africa.
The latest protest has brought the immigration dispute directly to the doorstep of the SADC summit, placing the issue before regional leaders whose citizens are among those affected.
Foreign
Trump Threatens Oman With Bombing Over Strait of Hormuz Talks

US President Donald Trump has threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of a US deal with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz, while calling on Tehran to surrender.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, amid ongoing talks between Oman and Iran over future maritime navigation arrangements through the strategic waterway.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the shit out of them,” Trump said, referring to the discussions between Oman and Iran as Washington pursues its own negotiations.
Iranian and Omani officials have been holding talks for weeks, with Iran’s Foreign Ministry saying Monday that both sides were working towards a joint declaration on the strait.
Trump has repeatedly claimed that the Strait of Hormuz is under US control, despite Iran maintaining an effective blockade that has severely restricted maritime traffic.
On Friday, Trump said he could even declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory, prompting Iran to insist that the strategic waterway “will remain Iranian.”
Trump also called on Iran to “put up the white flag of surrender,” according to Yingst.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran to the north and Oman to the south, was previously regarded as an open international waterway and carries a significant share of global energy shipments.
AFP
Foreign
Iran offers $30,000 bounty for killing, capturing US soldiers

There has been no known deployment of US ground forces in Iran during the Middle East war, with the exception of a rescue mission in April for a downed American pilot.
Hatami did not provide any details on where or when the killing or capturing of US soldiers was expected to take place.
“Anyone who kills or captures and hands over an invading American military personnel will receive a reward equivalent to $30,000 or 5 billion tomans from the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Army,” Hatami said, using an informal unit equivalent to 10,000 Iranian rials.
The war between Tehran and Washington began on February 28 after the United States, joined by Israel, attacked Iran. It was followed by an April ceasefire after nearly 40 days of fighting, and a June framework for peace talks that later collapsed.
Iran and the United States have since traded fire sporadically, with fighting mainly centred in southern Iran and around the Strait of Hormuz.
AFP
Foreign
Family Seeks Help to Locate Enugu Man in Dallas After Viral Social Media Post

The family of Philip Ifeanyi Elobuike, an indigene of Eziama Village, Ebe, in Udi Local Government Area of Enugu State, has appealed to the public for assistance in locating him after his photograph surfaced on social media following nearly two years without contact.
Elobuike first travelled to the United States around 2004 and initially settled in the Los Angeles area of California. He later moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, before relocating to Dallas, Texas.
According to his family, Elobuike remained in contact with his relatives in Nigeria until around 2024, when communication with him suddenly stopped. Before losing contact, he was active on social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram.
His family had continued searching for him, and on August 11, 2026, they were relieved when his photograph surfaced on social media. The picture provided them with at least some reassurance that he was alive.

Elobuike Philip
However, contrary to reports circulating in some media outlets and on social media, Elobuike has not been reunited with his family or located by his kinsmen in the United States.
His relatives and members of the Nigerian community reportedly spent the entire day on August 12 searching for him in different parts of Dallas but were unable to locate him.
The family is therefore appealing to members of the public, particularly Nigerians and other individuals in the Dallas area, to assist in locating Elobuike and ensuring that he is safely reunited with his family.
The family also urged people to disregard reports claiming that he has already been found and reunited with his relatives, describing such reports as inaccurate.
Anyone who has information about Elobuike’s whereabouts or comes across him is urged to contact any of the following:
Dr. Fred Ngwu: (214) 418-8145
Moses Onyejekwe: (213) 479-2340
Law Okolo: (646) 302-2597
The family expressed appreciation to everyone who has shared his photograph and appealed for continued circulation of the information until he is successfully located.
Foreign
Canada Deports 205 Nigerians Amid Immigration Crackdown

No fewer than 205 Nigerians were deported from Canada in June 2026 as Canadian authorities intensified enforcement of the country’s immigration laws, according to official figures released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Immigration removal statistics published by the CBSA showed that 10,607 individuals were removed from Canada during the month, with Nigerians ranking among the top 10 nationalities affected by the exercise.
The figures indicate that Nigerians accounted for nearly two per cent of all removals carried out in June.
India recorded the highest number of deportations, with 3,323 nationals removed, followed by Mexico with 1,573. The United States accounted for 372 deportees, while Colombia and Romania recorded 354 and 293 removals respectively.
Other countries with significant numbers of nationals deported included Bangladesh, with 227, and Pakistan, with 207.
Explaining the rationale behind the removals, the CBSA said enforcing immigration laws was critical to protecting the integrity of Canada’s immigration system.
“Removing individuals who do not have the right to enter or stay in Canada is essential to maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who come to this country lawfully,” the agency stated.
The latest figures underscore Canada’s continued enforcement against individuals found to have no legal right to remain in the country, as authorities seek to ensure compliance with the nation’s immigration laws.
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