The United kingdom (UK) says only international students coming in for their Doctor of Philosophy.(PhD) studies were eligible to bring in dependents to the country.

Dr. Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria made this known in an interview with the Newsmen on Sunday in Abuja.

He said that, the educational system policy changed earlier this year for international students in higher education not to bring dependents into the UK was to curb the increase of foreign student bringing in dependents.

He explained that the huge surge in dependence was putting an unsustainable pressure on many universities, adding that, it was the reason these changes were introduced.

Montgomery added that before his posting as High Commissioner to Nigeria, he had spoken to some of these universities on the policy change, which had been in the pipeline for some time.

He noted that the universities Chancellors had complained of the huge student populations’ highlighting that accommodation was a huge challenge, access to medical services under the National Health Service and access to school if they brought in dependents.

READ ALSO: Categories Of Jobs Under UK Skilled Work Visa With 48% Wage Increase [FULL LIST]

According to him, the restrictions do not apply to all categories, adding that those doing a long term research degree, like a PhD, or doctorate were not affected.

“Those coming to the UK for doctorate can still bring their dependency but if you are coming to the UK with a study visa for an undergraduate degree, or short term master’s degree am afraid the rules have been changed.

“People need to understand why this change was brought in, and it is a sensible change because we have a large higher education sector and most of these universities are in towns across the country.

“There has been a surge recently, in demand for British education and I can give you the macro figures and there has also been a huge increase in foreign students bringing their dependants.

“In the case of Nigeria, in 2019, before the Coronavirus pandemic, there were only one and a half thousand dependents being brought in from Nigeria, with those on study visas,

“In 2022, that figure had increased to fifty two thousand dependants so that’s a thirty fold increase in dependence. And it’s not just about Nigeria by the way.

READ ALSO: Japa: Types Of US Visa Available To Nigerians, Other Foreigners

“It is also about all foreign students, we saw similar rises, for example amongst Indian students coming to study in the UK,” he added.

Speaking on the policy initiation it is early to ascertain the impact of the policy on undergraduates because these changes were announced in 2023, but came into effect early this year and we would have to wait until September 2024, before we get the next run of academic tickets, he said.

“I think what your wider audience needs to hear is that the demand for UK education is really strong, in 2022, 65,000 study visas was approved to Nigerian applicants, 65,000, while in September 2023 we received about 115,000 Study visa applications from Nigeria.

“Of which 95 per cent were approved and over 110,000 study visas were issued last September compared to 65,000 of the previous year, there’s almost a doubling of Nigerian study visas in 2023 which means the demand is really high.

READ ALSO: All You Need To Know About UK New Visa Rules

“And it is something which I am genuinely pleased and proud about that the UK has such a good higher educational sector and we are still at the six economy, and is still one of the biggest economies but we are only 2.5 per cent of the global economy.

“So we have 17 of the top 100 universities in the world. We have 17 per cent of the top universities, so it is one of our units.

“I really like the demand but there are other factors at play in terms of schooling in the UK , the value of the Naira in the coming months will also determine how easy or hard it will be for many people to afford our education.

“But I really hope that the number of people who bring dependants in UK may actually not be a majority, but a minority of people have tried to study in the UK so am hoping that the demand will be sustained.”

Russia has added Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to its list of wanted criminals, a move Kyiv dismissed as a sign of Moscow’s “desperation”.

Zelensky’s name appeared on Saturday on the Russian interior ministry’s “wanted” list, an online database of alleged criminals sought by the Russian authorities.

It said the Ukrainian leader was wanted “under an article of the criminal code”, without providing further details.

There was no immediate comment from Russian officials as to why Zelensky had been added to the list.

READ ALSO: Knocks, Kudos As Senator Donates Clay Pots, Burial Materials To Constituents

Ukraine’s foreign ministry said the decision demonstrated “the desperation of the Russian state machine and propaganda, which are at a loss for what else to invent to garner attention”.

Moscow has targeted Zelensky since the start of Russia’s military offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.

The Ukrainian president said last year he was aware of at least “five or six” assassination attempts against him that had been foiled.

READ ALSO: Police Bar Lawyers From Reaching Journalist Allegedly Detained On IGP’s Orders

The day after sending troops into Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin gave an address to the nation in which he urged the Ukrainian army to overthrow Zelensky.

Russia has placed several foreign politicians and public figures on its wanted list, which has tens of thousands of entries.

The commander of Ukraine’s Land Forces, Oleksandr Pavliuk, and former Ukrainian president Petro Poroshenko also appeared in the online database on Saturday.

In February, Moscow said it was seeking Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for what the Kremlin said was the “desecration of historical memory” over the Baltic country’s move to destroy Soviet era monuments.

Last year the International Criminal Court ordered the arrest of Putin on war crimes charges related to the abduction of Ukrainian children — accusations rejected by Moscow.

Arsenal fans have paid tribute to the late British-Nigerian teenage fan Daniel Anjorin, who was tragically killed by a sword-wielding assailant in London on Tuesday.

During the 3-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday, Arsenal paused the game in the 14th minute, with fans applauding in tribute to 14-year-old Anjorin, whose favourite player was Bukayo Saka.

Anjorin’s image was displayed on the scoreboard, accompanied by banners reading “R.I.P Daniel” in different sections of the Emirates Stadium as a mark of respect for the Arsenal supporter.

TV presenter Piers Morgan was among a number of Arsenal supporters who paid tribute to the young fan during the game.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Police Arrest Mastermind Of Abuja-Kaduna Train Attack

Anjorin’s family has issued a statement paying tribute to their son.

His family issued a statement via the Metropolitan Police that said, “We as a family are devastated by the loss of our beloved son Daniel. It is difficult for us at this time to process what has happened to him and that he will never come home. Daniel had left the house for school and then he was gone.

“Our children have lost their loving and precious brother and we have lost the most loved and amazing son. We would like to send our best wishes to the other victims of this unthinkable incident.

“We would also like to thank the local community for all of their support during this most difficult time. We ask that the media please respect our privacy and refrain from contacting us or our family.”

READ ALSO: 14-year-old Boy Killed In London Sword Attack

According to The Guardian, a fundraiser set up for his family has raised more than £120,000 in three days, with more than 7,000 people donating.

Anjorin died on Tuesday morning as he walked to school in Hainault, in the east of Britain’s capital, when he was attacked by a man wielding what appeared to be a Samurai-type sword.

The suspect, a Spanish-Brazilian national, Marcus Aurelio Arduini Monzo, was remanded in custody by a London Magistrates Court on Thursday.