Nigeria Listed among Countries at Risk of UK Visa Restrictions as Official Gives Reason
- Reform UK has warned that countries demanding slavery reparations, including Nigeria, could face restrictions on UK visas
- Zia Yusuf described reparations claims as “insulting” and accused some nations of using history to drain the UK treasury
- A 2023 report estimated the UK could owe $24 trillion in reparations to 14 countries affected by the transatlantic slave trade
Nigeria has been named among countries that could face restrictions on UK visas if demands for reparations for historical slavery continue, according to a senior spokesperson from Reform UK.
The party’s home affairs representative, Zia Yusuf, said calls for compensation were “insulting” and warned that the government could block visas for nations pursuing claims.
Source: Original
Over the past 20 years, Yusuf claimed, the UK issued 3.8 million visas to citizens from countries seeking reparations. He described the situation as the UK being used as “an ATM for ethnic grievances of the past” and said the “bank is closed and the door is locked” for those pursuing financial claims against Britain, Guardian reported.
Countries demanding reparations may face consequences
The transatlantic slave trade, in which seven European nations enslaved and trafficked more than 15 million Africans, has left a lasting legacy on the global economy.
Last month, the UN formally recognized the trade as the “gravest crime against humanity” and recommended reparations as a step toward justice.
The resolution, which received backing from the African Union and the Caribbean Community, was proposed by Ghana’s president, John Dramani Mahama, who described it as a duty to honor the memory of millions who suffered.
The UK, along with EU members, abstained from the vote, while the United States opposed it.
Yusuf argued that these countries ignore Britain’s role in outlawing slavery early and enforcing its prohibition. He said that demands from countries such as Jamaica, Nigeria, and Ghana had become excessive and that Westminster had previously accommodated them too leniently.
Reparations debate continues amid criticism
A 2023 report by former International Court of Justice judge Patrick Robinson estimated that the UK alone could owe $24 trillion to 14 countries affected by the slave trade.
The Caribbean’s Caricom Reparations Commission has repeatedly clarified that its aim is to establish a mutually beneficial restorative justice program, not to bankrupt Britain.
The commission’s chair, Prof Sir Hilary Beckles, said recent media coverage misrepresented the initiative as seeking “billions and billions” in payouts, when it is focused on moral and ethical justice.
Reform UK has also pledged to suspend international aid to nations pursuing reparations. The debate is expected to continue as historical accountability, diplomacy, and domestic politics intersect over one of the most sensitive issues in global relations.
FG to establish UK Coventry University campus in Nigeria
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigeria’s federal government had moved to establish a local campus of Coventry University as part of a broader plan to widen access to internationally recognised degrees and reduce the financial burden of overseas study for Nigerian families.
The initiative was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 18, by the Federal Ministry of Education, which said the proposal is being pursued through a Transnational Education partnership with the United Kingdom institution.
Source: Legit.ng
