No, UK did not issue issued 430,000 visas to Nigerians over seven months, as claimed online
IN SHORT: Nigeria's diaspora agency claims the UK has issued 430,000 visas to Nigerians in one year. The claim continues to circulate on social media, even after the British high commission debunked it. The correct figure is nearly half that, at 255,000.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission posted a press release on its X handle on 7 August 2024. In it, the commission said the British high commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, had assured its chief executive that Nigerians in the United Kingdom were safe amid anti-immigrant riots.
On 29 July, three children were killed in a knife attack in Southport, a coastal town in northwestern England. False claims that the perpetrator was a Muslim immigrant or asylum-seeker began circulating online shortly after the attack, leading to the riots.
The part of the statement from the diaspora agency that went viral in Nigeria is a line claiming that Montgomery said "about 430,000 visa applications by Nigerians were successful this year".
Some media organisations therefore reported that the UK had issued 430,000 visas to Nigerians in seven months. This also appeared in several Facebook posts.
"At least 430,000 visas have been issued by the United Kingdom (UK) government to Nigerians seeking to study and relocate to the European nation in 2024," reads one Facebook post.
The claim can also be found here, here and here. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of the report.)
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But did the UK issue 430,000 visas to Nigerians in the first seven months of 2024?
British high commission gives correct figure
Two days after the press release was posted, the British high commission responded: "CORRECTION: @UKinNigeria issued 255,000 of all types of UK visas in the 12 months from April 2023-March 2024."
The diaspora commission acknowledged the correction in a reply to the high commission on X.
It said: "@UKinNigeria, this correction in figures is noted. And we will update appropriately. However, the most important issue is the assurance of the safety of Nigerians in the UK during this period, and we commend you for the steps taken so far, as normalcy returns."
However, we found no evidence that the diaspora commission had publicly corrected the error, either on X or on its website.
The claim that the UK issued 430,000 visas to Nigerians in the first seven months of 2024 is false. Circulating such a claim is likely to mislead many people and have a negative impact on policy.
The same claim was also posted here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
