Nigerian students at Teesside University, Middlesbrough, United Kingdom have expressed devastation after 60 of them were thrown off their course and ordered to leave the country when they fell behind on their fees because of the depreciation of the naira back home.
Teesside University withdrew students who were struggling with their fees and informed the Home Office, after some students’ savings were wiped out when the value of Nigeria’s naira crashed.
The students, some who say they have been contacted by debt collection agencies, have protested outside the campus, accusing the university of being “heartless”.
The BBC reports the university said it had “no choice” as failure to pay was a breach of visa sponsorship rules. It said it had made every effort to help the affected students, including with bespoke payment plans.
The affected students asked the university for help after they defaulted on their fees when their savings were wiped out, they recounted to the BBC.
Adenike Ibrahim told the broadcaster she was close to handing in her dissertation when she was kicked off her course because she was unable to make a payment.
Despite having now paid her fees in full, she will have to leave the UK with her young son and cannot re-enrol.
“I did default [on payments], but I’d already paid 90% of my tuition fees and I went to all of my classes. I called them and asked to reach an agreement, but they do not care what happens to their students,” she lamented.
The value of the naira has dropped sharply amid reforms introduced by President Bola Tinubu who came into office a year ago, aimed at balancing its economy.
Nigeria is experiencing more than 30 per cent inflation, with the price of some essential goods, such as rice, more than doubling in less than a year.
Many Nigerians are sharing pictures and videos online showing them reducing portion sizes and eating food that would normally be fed to livestock, in order to get by.
Teesside, unlike most UK universities, which require foreign students to pay their full fees upfront, allows students to pay in installments as long as they can show they have enough funds for fees and living expenses.
A university spokesperson explained: “Teesside University is proud to be a global institution with a diverse student population but is also very aware of its obligations regarding visa issuance and compliance. These strict external regulations ensure that the university fully supports a robust immigration system and is outside of the university’s control.”
The Home Office said a decision to offer or withdraw visa sponsorship rested with the sponsoring institution. It said when a visa was shortened or cancelled, individuals should “take steps to regularise their stay or make arrangements to leave the UK.”
The Home Office told the students in a letter they did not have a right to appeal
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