It is not all Nigerians entering United Kingdom with a student visa plans to illegally switch visa from a study visa into a work type. Speak for yourself and leave others to speak for themselves also. (A voice of concerned Nigerian.
The UK Visa Immigration Team have no idea what we encounter on a daily as the only available jobs for an International Students is mostly cleaning and Care jobs which are mostly covered by Africans and other International students on tier 4 visa. Some of the care jobs still insists that Students enroll for a training and have at least six months work experience in the field. Therefore, in other to earn a living and to continue studying in the UK, besides other expenses like transportation, accommodation, and home bills, some students often go extra mile combining training along with studies which can be exhaustive and expensive for a new student trying to find his foot in the UK.
This is the ulterior motive of addressing the outrageous message conveyed in the recently trending interview given by Emdee Tiamiyu on BBC World News.
“The Outrageous plan of the 5 years ban on students who intends to convert from Tier-4 into Tier-2 visa is presently overflowing the social media circulation”
Even though majority of Citizens from Under-developed Countries who had been forcefully migrated into the UK either as a result of economic challenges as with situations of Countries like India and earthquake mayhems Countries notably in Pakistan, China, Philippines and several others studying on a Tier-4 student visa and the prevailing Security Issues in Nigeria are the already established motives for International students from these Countries trooping into the UK.
However, Nigerians remains the prime focus of target as large number of Nigerian families continues to enter the United Kingdom mostly on Tier-4 student visa. This is mainly due to recent hearsay news on BBC, based on a message conveyed by a fellow Nigerian who speculated that “ Nigerians are entering the United Kingdom on a Tier-4 student visa without intention of studying rather plans to switch to a Tier-2 work visa as soon as they get to the UK”. This statement prompted the United Kingdom Immigration body to instantaneously decides to impose a five years restriction for students who indulges in illegally switching from Tier-4 visa into a Tier-2 visa which would hopefully take effect from next year.
The International Students Statistics findings reveals that the three major Countries who are also considered as “Non-EU International Students in the UK” that are studying on a Tier-4 student visa are China, India and Nigeria. These findings also indicate that 559,825 figures of Non-EU International students in the UK migrates from these Countries indicated. China is considered to formulate the largest index with 151,690 students from China, next in-line is India which records a total of 126,535 students from India. Nigeria on the other hand holds the lowest record with only 44,195 students. Amazingly, Nigerian students in the UK are not even up to average of Indians or one-third of Chinese students in the UK, yet the whole world attention is on Nigeria at the moment thanks to the Nigerian student that gave the fake news on BBC.
What is Tier 4 visa?– A Tier 4 visa is a type of Visa issued by the Immigration body of the UK for students travelling in other to study a full-time program in diverse level and various Institutions in the United kingdom. This type of visa only permits them to work for a maximum period of 20 hours in a week as their major purpose of entering the UK through the Tier 4 visa is to study. Despite the fact that International Students accorded to the terms and conditions presented on this visa route, it is crystal obvious that most of them had little or no idea what they were aiming for due to the fact that majority of them was anxious to leave their present status quo. For instance, I was anxious to leave to travel and leave my Country especially as a result of Insecurity reasons in the Country.
Who are the International Students studying on Tier 4 visas?– The International students are foreign students from diverse Countries travelling into the UK for a full time program.
Who are the UKVI Immigration body?
The UK Visa and Immigration body is the body bestowed with the capacity of making verdicts for individuals tour and residences right to enter and live in the UK.
Nigerians have been consistently been viewed with a suspicious mindsets, over a long period of time, as a results of certain “yahoo boys” who indulges in falsified on-line services embezzling innocents foreigners over enormous ransoms.
I once encountered a similar incidence on my first travel into the UK getting to the Heathrow airport while I was confronted by the Immigration Officer. I noticed that he took his time to check my documents thoroughly also asking questions and verifying each of my responses than he did other students arriving from other Countries. I could tell from his looks that he finds me suspicious.
What are the Implications of the New ban for Students who intends to switch from Tier 4 to a Tier 2 visa? Several International scholars’ tendency to lose Right of Entering UK with Family
Even though red light is presently drawn to Nigerian students in the UK especially sequel to the message conveyed by Nigerian student on BBC last month (Exact date). All eyes are going to be on Nigerians students by September which also translates a shift in attention from other Countries who might possibly attempt to engage in the act. Majority of people fail to identify the huge challenge of the Incidence as it is not just a question of the Country involved in the illegal activity but the body. Which brings my readers attention to the right question, Who else could be involved?
Who else could be involved?
The report propagated by Tanimu clearly indicates that he fails to see beyond his nose. As his concern was only about his fellow Nigerians who he claims were using student visa route as an excuse to enter into the UK. So my questions to everyone one is “who else could be involved?” As we all know that in a Market in other to have a buyer their must definitely be a Seller who might even be an aborigine of the UK itself working within the sector of UKVI
The UNHCR observations statement on the new plan For Immigration policy statement of Government of UK in may 2021
It is an ironic fact that there are several International Bodies which protects the law and Illegal Immigrants such as refugees seeking Asylum in the UK such as the UNHCR, the IOM, Asylum Access and so on, but few International bodies that takes International Students welfare as their priority. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugee have considerably protected Interest of Illegal refugees in the UK over the years, there efforts is commendable specifically on the May 2021 Observations on the New Plan for Migration policy of the United Kingdom’s government.
What is UNHCR Mandates if they cannot protect Tier 4 Students as well?
UNHCR encourages fundamental droits de l’homme of asylum seekers and ascertains to see the people are required not to be sent back unwillingly to a Country they have been encountering discrimination. They support individuals to emigrate to their initial place of residence at the right time, fused within asylum situation or re-adapt in third Countries. They also encourage a global asylum accord and they assist with outlining confirmed asylum layout while serving as a global Custodian on escapees mayhems.
May I examine the Core Principles of 1951 Conventions of UNHCR?
The crux of 1951 UNHCR Conventions principle is non renouncement. Which implies that an asylum seeker is not meant to be reintegrated into a state that poses treacherous threats to their existence and sovereignty. The Convention record indicates the principal minimal level for the reception of asylum seekers including their equability to residencies, jobs, and studies while stateless in other to conduct an exalted and liberated lifestyle. It also signifies an escapee’s responsibility to invite a particular class of individual. In other words, Illegal immigrants living in the UK are privileged to invite other relative such as war criminals who does not meet up to the criteria of an asylum seeker. Whereas, Tier-4 visa students on a master’s program are not permitted any more to bring in family members into the UK.
Career/ Employment Opportunities at UNHCR
The United Nations Refugee Agency provides one of the several positions within diverse cadres of the Organization. It is among the highest job providing sector of the United Nations body advertising job vacancies employing staff such as the International Professional Staff, Temporary Appointments, Consultants at International, Local and National level, General Service Staff, National Professional Officers, Intern ships opportunities, Evergreen talent pipelines, Junior Professional Officers, United Nations Volunteers, and Field service staff. Some positions advertised within the UNHCR are seldom advertised internally, which suffice to say that only in-house members are required to apply for such positions first except when there is no qualified personnel for such positions that’s it would later be publicized generally on-line for interested applicants.
The International Professional Staff is a good example of an Internal Position in UNHCR. Consultants employed by UNHCR are expected to be expatriates for the positions they seek as their Job descriptions are largely on contract which distinguish them from the other positions except for the fact that they are also on temporary agreement. Ever Green pipelines are often recruited in high demands as a stand-by staff in other to equate regular temporary positions who is easily accessible to commence work in the nick of time. Field service staff is similar to evergreen positions besides the fact it is only meant for In-house members who intends to gain a global work experience but are solely deployed personally to hazardous locations on a temporary arrangement.
The Junior Professional Officers and United Nations Volunteers have one thing in common as both are age bound, applicants are expected to be either 25 to 35 as with Junior Professional Officers, is grouped into two categories. Junior Youth Professionals are not expected to be older than 25 years at the period of their application, then the Young Expert Officer should not be older than 35 when applying. The later position, the UNV staff recruits applicants within age 18 to 35 years. Finally, the Interns positions are meant for University students, graduates, and master’s degree holders who plans to gain an International work experience in UNHCR. These positions is designed for students like us embarking on a study trip to Geneva, the headquarters of the UNHCR.
My Career Expectations from UNHCR
As an MSc student studying masters in Conflict and Cooperation on a tier 4 visa. I found it difficult to gain a suitable job in the UK even with your qualification as a master’s holders, there are several prerequisites such as training and request job years of experience in the UK. Which is my major motive for choosing this program also my expectations as to what I envisage to achieve specifically gaining an International work experience as an Intern from UNHCR in Geneva.
Getting an opportunity to work as an Intern with UNHCR would open doors of opportunities to apply for other positions later on after gaining an enriched experience on the job and could lead to a starting point of building my Job connection as I would also get to develop my profile. I also hope that UNHCR has the capacity of providing post graduate students especially Tier 4 visa students with the required Job that would be suitable for our qualifications and most importantly implementing an avenue for students to grow in a rapid International Organization.
Questions
- Is it possible for UNHCR to provide full-time employment for International Students on tier-4 visa?
- Is there any Job Opportunity for students who intends to volunteer or apply for an Intern position?
- Are there any job placements priority for students embarking on the Geneva study trip?
- As an International Student of University of Stirling, is the UNHCR likely to employ me on Intern is my University is not among the Universities of UNESCO?