British Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak has announced an increase in visa application fees and health surcharges for immigrants, including Nigerians.
The decision to raise the fees came as part of a speech addressing an increase in public sector wages.
Sunak revealed that a portion of the funding for the wage hike would be generated from foreign migrants who come to the United Kingdom to live and work, according to British media reports.
Sunak further stated that the surcharge paid by visa applicants for the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) would “increase significantly.”
In a previous announcement at the United States embassy, the Prime Minister had also mentioned plans to raise fees for processing non-immigrant visa applications.
The US embassy subsequently confirmed that the new fees for various visa categories would be implemented from June 17, 2023.
Sunak justified the fee increases, stating that it was necessary as these fees had not been raised recently.
He explained that if public sector workers were to receive higher wages, the money had to be sourced from elsewhere, as increasing taxes or borrowing more would have negative consequences.
To generate the necessary funds, the government plans to raise visa application fees and the immigration health surcharge, which will raise over £1 billion.
Sunak clarified that the increased fees would not contribute to inflation since there would be no new borrowing or spending to fund the increases.
He emphasized that the government considered the fee adjustments appropriate, given that costs have risen since the previous hike.
In a tweet, Sunak expressed that the fee adjustments were a fair way to resolve strikes, garnering support from teaching unions. He deemed it a fair deal for workers and the British taxpayer, highlighting the positive impact on parents and families nationwide.