They were thrown off university courses after the naira devaluation crisis left them struggling to pay tuition fees on time.
President Bola Tinubu’s administration is set to intervene in the face-off between the management of Teesside University, United Kingdom (UK) and Nigerians studying in the institution over deportation from the country.
The students have been told to leave the UK after failing to pay their outstanding tuition. They were thrown off university courses after the naira devaluation crisis left them struggling to pay tuition fees on time.
Teesside University in the United Kingdom had expelled several Nigerian students and initiated their deportation over unpaid fees, citing compliance with UK immigration regulations.
According to a report by the BBC, the university emphasised its commitment to visa issuance and compliance obligations.
A university spokesperson stated, “Teesside University is proud to be a global institution with a diverse student population but is also very aware of its visa issuance and compliance obligations. These strict external regulations ensure that the university fully supports a robust immigration system and are outside of the university’s control.”
The university explained that it had “no choice” but to enforce these measures as non-payment of fees constituted a breach of visa sponsorship rules. Efforts were reportedly made to assist the affected students through bespoke payment plans.
Many of the expelled students protested outside the campus of the institution on Tuesday, accusing the university of being “heartless” and unfair.
However, a delegation to be led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Amb. Christian Okeke and leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in the UK will visit the school to meet with the management on the allegations raised by the students.
In a statement released on Wednesday by the Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocol, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the affected students passionately narrated their ordeal and were optimistic of a positive intervention.
The statement reads, "A delegation, to be led by a representative of the Nigerian Embassy in the UK, Amb. Christian Okeke, leaders of the Nigerian Students Union in UK, will visit the Management of Teesside University to intervene on the allegations of unfair and unjust deportation order served on some Nigerian students, in the middle of their studies.
"The decision was taken at the end of a virtual meeting held between Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Representative of the Nigerian High Commission UK, Amb. Christian Okeke, Mr Yemi Soile, President, Nigerian Students Union UK, and many of the affected students at the meeting on Sunday.
"The affected students passionately narrated their ordeal and were optimistic of a positive intervention.
"During the meeting, Chairman NIDCOM appealed to the students to remain calm and not to take laws into their hands while appealing to the University to treat the students with justice and fairness.
"Ambassador Okeke spoke in the same vein.”
"It will be recalled that on May 22, some students of Teesside University from Nigeria staged a protest following the directives by the University authorities for them to leave UK on the allegations that some of the students defaulted in paying their school fees," the statement added.