Controversy Erupts: UK’s Ban on Kenyan Nationals Sparks Backlash Against PM Rishi Sunak
During his New Year’s speech on Monday, January 1, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of the United Kingdom unveiled intentions to prohibit immigrants from moving to the UK.
“In 2024, we are already delivering for the British people,” Sunak explained that the radical decision was informed by his pledge to the country’s natives.
The Home Office, responsible for immigration and passports in the UK government, backed the message. They stated that the policy aimed to significantly reduce migration.
“Post-graduate research or government-funded scholarships students will be exempt,” the Home Office noted.
Kenyans and individuals of other nationalities, including foreign university students, will face the impact of a prohibition on bringing their family members to the United Kingdom.
Therefore, Sunak’s choice sparked widespread outrage among most British citizens who criticized the Prime Minister for presiding over the decline of the country’s esteemed university education system, recognized globally.
“This policy will significantly damage the funding of UK universities as international students will go elsewhere. That means that a generation of Britons will pay more to go to college and university, making it a preserve of the rich,” one UK citizen complained to the Prime Minister.
Another individual criticized Sunak’s statement, questioning how creating hardship and discomfort for international students would enhance the lives of British citizens.
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The UK’s Labour Party, functioning as an opposition group, commented that Sunak’s choice, backed by the Conservative Party in power, could lead to a situation where international students opt for enrollment in universities in the United States and various European nations.
“The UK, seemingly closed for business and foreign students, is on a slow decline and losing its relevance,” a member of the Labour Party stated.
This was additionally backed by Don McGowan, a Scottish British citizen, who lamented that the UK was diminishing its worldwide standing because of the policy.
“We lose countless millions in GDP, push foreign students to other countries and, while we’re at it, decimate the university sector. A sector that Britain has been world-leading in for hundreds of years,” McGowan complained.
In the 2021/2022 academic year, there were 679,970 international students enrolled in higher education, as reported by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA).
According to the Immigration Advice Service, the UK is home to 11 million migrants, most of whom move to the country along with their families.
Furthermore, according to the International Migrant Stock (IMS), there are more than 150,000 individuals from Kenya residing in the United Kingdom.
Controversy Erupts: UK’s Ban on Kenyan Nationals Sparks Backlash Against PM Rishi Sunak
