Over 1,400 international students, including 161 Nigerians, denied entry to the UK between 2021 and 2023
Between 2021 and 2023, 1,425 international students admitted to UK universities were denied entry at the country's airports, according to data from the UK Home Office through the Freedom of Information Act.
Out of these, 161 were Nigerians who were removed upon arrival at various UK airports.
India topped the list with 644 students, accounting for 45 percent of the total figure, followed by Nigeria at 11.3 percent. Ghana ranked third with 92 students (6.46 percent), and Bangladesh came in fourth with 90 students (6.32 percent), Punch NG reports.
The reasons for these denials included students' inability to convince Border Force officers during airport checks, the presentation of forged documents, and deficiencies in English language proficiency.
According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency, 679,970 foreign students were admitted to UK universities for the 2021/2022 academic year.
Nigeria had the highest number of foreign students from Africa, with 44,195 out of the 68,320 African students studying in the UK during that period.
