Nigerian Students’ Union blames Teesside varsity for deportation crisis

Head of the Nigerian Students’ Union UK, Yemi Soile, has berated Teesside University for deceiving students over the repayment process of tuition fees.

Reacting to the inhumane treatment of some Nigerian students currently facing deportation due to their inability to pay tuition fees on time, Soile criticised the university for not being clear about the tuition repayment process.

He suggested that the university’s desperation to enrol more foreign students may have led to withholding crucial information from students.

Soile stated that over 60 Nigerian students failed to meet their payments after the value of their savings dropped due to a currency crash.

“Students were not supported. Their mental health and well-being were not considered.

“Many of us came to the UK under the impression that the fees could be spread over seven instalments, only to find out the terms had changed at the start of the 2023-24 academic year to three instalments. This is a serious diplomatic issue,” he said.

He added, “People have decided to come all the way here. They sell their properties, they leave everything, and then we’re telling them to go back, just like that, to nothing?”

Reacting to Soile’s claims, a university spokesperson told The Guardian that students who fall behind in tuition fee repayments are notified early and supported with a revised payment plan.

“Students who fail to make their agreed tuition payments are sent multiple communications and offered support around revised payment plans, with the decision to withdraw their student access taken as a last resort.

“Once withdrawn, the university is obliged to report this to the Home Office, who may then issue a visa cancellation notice. A very small number of students are in this position and we are working to support them on a case-by-case basis.”

The poor treatment of a group of students who were ordered to leave the UK after failing to meet tuition repayments has continued to generate significant reactions at home and abroad.

The Guardian revealed that one student was forced to sell his house in Nigeria to meet his debts.
Others, having been removed from their courses, were notified by UK Visas and Immigration that they had 60 days to leave the country.