Travel News
Hundreds of flights cancelled as strong winds sweep northern China - AFP
Strong winds wreaked havoc in Beijing and parts of northern China on Saturday, causing hundreds of flights to be cancelled, attractions to close and rail lines to be suspended, state media said.
The powerful winds stemmed mainly from a cold vortex system formed over Mongolia that was moving east and south, sweeping across northern China from Friday through the weekend, the China Meteorological Administration said.
“The strongest winds are expected during the daytime of April 12, with wind speeds at some observation stations approaching or even surpassing historical records for the same period since 1951,” the CMA said in a statement.
Beijing earlier issued its first orange alert — the second-highest tier — for strong winds in a decade for this weekend.
As of Saturday morning, 413 flights at Beijing’s Capital International Airport had been cancelled, state broadcaster CCTV said.
Train services including the airport’s express subway line and some high-speed rail lines have also been suspended, CCTV added.
Tourist attractions including the Summer Palace, Temple of Heaven, Beijing Zoo and the Universal Studios theme park were also temporarily closed Saturday.
Almost 300 trees in the Chinese capital had toppled and 19 vehicles had been damaged, CCTV said, adding that no injuries due to the strong winds had been reported in Beijing yet.
China is the world’s biggest emitter of the greenhouse gases that scientists say are driving climate change and making extreme weather more frequent and intense.
Dozens of people were killed and thousands evacuated during storms that caused severe flooding around the country last year.
In May, a highway in southern China collapsed after days of rain, killing 48 people.
Overstay your visa, risk 10-year ban, FG tells expatriates - PUNCH
BY Wale Akinselure
The Federal Government has announced stricter immigration penalties, warning that expatriates who overstay their visas beyond six months will face a five-year entry ban, while one-year overstay will attract a 10-year ban.
According to the Federal Government, any of the overstays will incur a daily fine of $15, starting from the visa’s stated exit date.
The penalty will take effect from August 1, according to the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Tunji-Ojo made the announcement while unveiling the Ministry of Interior’s new Expatriate Administration System during a meeting with the Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders at the Nigeria Employers’ Consultative Association House in Ikeja, Lagos, on Friday.
Among the reforms set to roll out from May 1 are the automated Landing and Exit Cards, Electronic Visa, Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance, and an upgraded Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card.
Others include the Temporary Residence Visa, Temporary Work Permit, and revised Expatriate Quota system.
Tunji-Ojo said the measures aimed to curb visa overstays and obtain accurate data on expatriates in Nigeria.
“Our records indicate fewer than 50,000 expatriates in Nigeria, which we know is inaccurate. We need to establish the true number of foreigners living in the country. A nation without reliable data cannot progress, as data is the foundation of effective planning,” he said.
Under the new system, the minister explained that Landing and Exit Cards would be automated, adding that expatriates must exit the country on or before their visa expiry date and apply for extensions only from outside Nigeria.
“This is serious. We’re not introducing anything new regarding the landing and exit card, just automating the current paper-based process. In a country of over 230 million intelligent, tech-savvy people, we shouldn’t be using paper cards. Going forward, you must complete your landing and exit cards online,” he added.
Tunji-Ojo added that the automated process would help track overstayers.
The minister said, “If you overstay, there will be consequences. Overstaying by six months attracts a five-year ban; one year attracts a 10-year ban. There is also a $15 daily overstay penalty. People claim to be visiting Nigeria for two weeks but stay for 30 years working — that must end.
“While the new measures take effect from May 1, a three-month moratorium will be given to allow expatriates to regularise their status before strict enforcement begins in August.”
According to the minister, the new Electronic Visa system, also launching May 1, will allow applicants to obtain visas within 48 hours.
This replaces the existing visa-on-arrival regime, which he described as vulnerable to corruption and influence-peddling.
“We’re introducing the e-visa to make access to Nigeria easier for tourists and business travelers. Globally, population equals market, and we want to open our borders to legitimate opportunities. The e-visa eliminates bottlenecks. No more lobbying. It’s a seamless and secure system,” Tunji-Ojo stated.
He further announced the introduction of an annual Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance policy.
“We spend billions annually on repatriation. Just a month ago, we had exhausted our yearly budget and had to request an extra N25m. That money should be used to build infrastructure, not deport individuals. We needed a sustainable solution,” he said.
The minister explained that instead of demanding a lump sum for repatriation, which could exceed $10,000, the government had opted for a mandatory insurance policy.
“All over the world, there’s personal liability insurance. Your stay here should benefit both you and the host country — not leave Nigeria worse off. The Expatriate Comprehensive Insurance is now mandatory and will be paid annually along with the CERPAC,” he said.
Japa-da: Nigerians abroad return home amid dashed expectations - PUNCH
BY Olufemi Adediran, Muhammed Lawal, Gift Habib and Ismaeel Uthman
An increasing number of Nigerians who previously migrated in pursuit of better opportunities have started returning home, citing unmet expectations and depression in their host countries.
The development is a reversal of the popular “Japa” trend, which has seen millions of Nigerian youths migrate to Europe, America and Asia in search of better living conditions and job opportunities.
The Japa trend
In 2023, the International Organisation for Migration reported that approximately 260,000 Nigerians approached them for assistance to migrate, with the United Kingdom being the primary destination of 80 per cent of them.
According to the Nigerian Immigration Service, over 3.6 million Nigerians migrated to other countries within two years.
The NIS Migration Information Data Analysis System showed that about 2,115,139 persons emigrated from Nigeria in 2022, while 1,574,357 left the country from January to September 31, 2023, making it a total of 3,679,496 that had left Nigeria within two years.
But now, some of these Nigerians are returning home to rebuild their lives.
Some of the returnees who spoke to Saturday PUNCH said life abroad was not as easy as it seemed, and many of the challenges they faced were hidden behind the glamorous images often shown to others.
Reality far from expectations
A 30-year-old nurse who claimed to have spent two years in the United States, Judith Okoli, said after moving abroad in 2017 for career advancement, the reality of life in the US was far from her expectations.
Okoli, who spoke to one of our correspondents, said despite earning a steady income, the high cost of living, isolation, and racism left her feeling unfulfilled.
According to her, she endured “a lonely life.”
Okoli recalled facing discrimination in her professional life and a persistent sense of exclusion that constantly reminded her that she was not part of the system.
“You just never feel welcomed, whereas in Nigeria, you feel at home,” she added.
Despite earning a decent income, she explained that the high cost of living in the US left little to show for it.
“My rent alone was over $3,000 monthly. By the time you pay for bills, car notes, insurance, and taxes, you begin to wonder, what is the point?”
Driven by a desire to reconnect with her roots, Okoli decided to return to Nigeria in 2019.
Her transition was not seamless; early business ventures in beauty and marketing failed, but she eventually found passion in farming.
She said, “Farming became something I could grow and develop. Five years later, I now have a business I can watch over and expand. My side hustle is now my main hustle.”
She urged Nigerians abroad to reconsider making foreign countries their permanent homes.
“It should be a temporary place to get what you need and come back to do what you truly want,” she emphasised. “Many have been abroad for 10 years and cannot afford a flight home.”
Okoli noted that with proper planning, a consistent income stream, and a commitment to reinvest at home, returning to Nigeria could bring fulfillment, reconnection with family, and a sense of peace that money can’t buy.
“I planned. I failed. I went back. I re-strategised,” she said. “But now I’m back for good, and this time, I’m doing it right.”
‘Mental health made me return’
In a TikTok video, Kenny Igho, who recently returned to Nigeria from the United States, said her decision to move back was driven by unhappiness and mental health struggles.
Kenny, a mother of two, emphasised that her decision was not impulsive but a gradual realisation that she needed a change for her well-being.
She said, “The reason is because I was not happy; I was troubled. I didn’t have peace; I was anxious. Every little thing got me anxious, and I realised I was sliding into a subtle depression, so I’m like, I don’t think I want to do this anymore.
“It wasn’t a spontaneous decision; it was gradual. But at this point, I would say yes, my mind is fully made up. So, am I nervous? No, not anymore. I used to be before I thought of what to do in Nigeria, because going to Nigeria, you have to be sure; it is the truth. You have to know what you want to go and do.
“I have spoken to people. I have told them about wanting to go, and you realise that a lot of people are in your shoes, but the only thing that is stopping them is fear. And for real, I was listening to somebody and he said the barrier between you and your success is fear.”
I quit my job in US – Doctor
Another returnee, Dr Julius Oni, an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, said he quit his job at Johns Hopkins University in the United States and moved back to Nigeria with his family.
Oni, in a video on TikTok, disclosed that he returned to Nigeria after spending 25 years in the US to set up a musculoskeletal care facility.
He said, “Six weeks ago, I relocated from the US to Nigeria. I took a leave of absence from my job at Johns Hopkins, sold my house, sold cars, packed my bags alongside my lovely wife and beautiful children and moved after 25 years of living in the USA
“I know at this point, some of you may call me delusional or even crazy, but I’m neither. I’m just a man full of conviction.
“I happen to believe that Nigerian patients deserve great care, too. As part of my mission, I have started DOC Medical Nigeria, which offers high-quality musculoskeletal care to the population.
“Part of my effort is to provide access to care so that people do not have to travel to access high-quality orthopedic surgery care.”
My village people did not force my return – Returnee
Another returnee, Summer Aku, revealed the criticism she faced after making her decision to return to Nigeria.
“When I shared my Japada story, some people said my village people had dragged me back to Nigeria. There was nothing people didn’t say,” she recalled.
Aku expressed frustration over being questioned about her return to the “land of her ancestors”.
She noted that many Nigerians, especially those who had never lived abroad, often failed to understand such decisions, adding that explaining to them was a waste of time.
Now running a short-let/Airbnb business in Nigeria, Aku shared how her guests were often Nigerians returning to bury their loved ones.
“It saddens me that many never saw their parents alive, but come back just to bury them. They always express deep regret. Many people don’t realise this life is not a rehearsal; this is it. There’s no second chance to do most things right,” Aku said.
Despite the challenges in Nigeria, she emphasised the irreplaceable value of home.
“It’s unfortunate the problems we have in Nigeria, but truth be told, there is no place like home. Nowhere else allows you to fully be part of family weddings, birthdays, naming ceremonies, and graduations.”
‘Nigeria not too bad’
Also speaking, a returnee, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he recently returned from the United Kingdom after spending four years abroad.
He said after completing his studies, he wanted to pursue his PhD.
“But combining that with taking care of my children became overwhelming. That was when I began to seriously consider coming back home to Nigeria,” he added.
For him, the move abroad was meant to be a temporary step towards financial empowerment and entrepreneurship in Nigeria.
He said since returning home three weeks ago, he had joined his brother in managing a real estate business they had previously co-run while in the UK.
“The situation in Nigeria is not too bad. I already had a connection to a business here. Since coming back, I’ve been settling in quite well.”
He attributed the reasons many Nigerians were returning to cultural disconnection, harsh working conditions, emotional stress abroad, and inability to combine work with childcare.
“There are people who are coming back for some other reasons, such as the inability to cope with life over there; some are not so open to change in culture, food, lifestyle, and the weather. The kind of luxury that we enjoy in Nigeria is not over there.
“Emigration comes with a lot of stress; it comes with its problems. Some people do not have adequate information about life out there; they believe it is all rosy. But unfortunately, it is not; it is a lot of stress. Immigrants do a lot of odd jobs to pay bills, and this takes a toll on their mental health,” he said.
Childcare support
Another returnee, who identified herself as Ifeoma on TikTok, said she relocated from Canada back to Nigeria with her family due to the difficulty of securing a job and finding adequate childcare support after the birth of her second child.
She said, “I was not working, and it was very frustrating. I was basically relying on the money from childcare and other benefits we could get to survive. My husband worked, but we had to source money from Nigeria to pay most of our bills. You can imagine how crazy that was, and it was hectic.”
Recently, a Nigerian lady, Jenny Jones, shared her decision to relocate to Nigeria after living and working in the US for some time.
Having worked in the US for several years, Jones cited burnout and lack of fulfillment as key reasons for her relocation.
“I’m going to Nigeria because I feel I am burnt out in the US and I need a break,” she said, noting that she plans to launch a clothing line in Lagos.
For her, the move represents a chance to pursue entrepreneurship and regain control over her mental health.
“No amount of therapy or supplements can fix the constant mental battle if you are living in a place where you do not feel fulfilled. Do you see the glow up on my face just talking about the fact that I’m moving to Nigeria?” she explained.
The Idowu family, who lived in the US for 14 years before returning to Nigeria in 2024, echoed similar sentiments in a video shared on their YouTube channel two months ago.
Despite holding US citizenship, they said rising crime rates, cultural disconnects, and racism led them to leave.
“America is not the way it used to be,” they said. “We wanted our kids to grow up with morals and without the fear of gun violence. The crime rate in America is skyrocketing. Racism is there as well, especially against the blacks. That is why we returned to Nigeria.”
Immigration lawyers react
Commenting on why some Nigerians were returning home from abroad, an immigration lawyer, Cephas Caleb, said several factors could be responsible for the development, citing “economic, social and other reasons.”
Another immigration lawyer, Innocent Ekpen, noted that President Donald Trump’s actions might have influenced those returning from the US.
He said, “For instance, what President Trump has been doing could be a factor, because he has been sending undocumented immigrants back home, even those that got the document from the Biden administration.”
The spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said returnees were coming back for “reasons related to economics, emotions, and security.”
FG Mulls Direct Flight To Tanzania - LEADERSHIP
The federal government of Nigeria is considering the proposal for a direct flight to Tanzania.
This followed the request the head of chancery of the Tanzania High Commission, Judica Elfadhili Nagunwa and her delegation to the minister of aviation and aerospace development, Festus Keyamo, when they visited the minister in Abuja.
Special adviser to the minister, Tunde Moshood said during the meeting, “the Tanzanian envoy conveyed the high commission’s commitment to strengthening bilateral relations between Nigeria and Tanzania, particularly in the area of air connectivity. A key point of discussion was the request by Air Tanzania to commence direct flights between Tanzania and Nigeria.
“Nagunwa emphasised that the launch of direct flights would not only enhance trade and tourism between both countries but would also deepen cultural and people-to-people ties. She expressed the readiness of the Tanzanian authorities to collaborate closely with Nigeria to actualise this goal.”
Meanwhile, Keyamo welcomed the proposal and assured the delegation of the ministry’s willingness to facilitate necessary processes in line with Nigeria’s bilateral and regulatory frameworks.
He reiterated the federal government’s resolve under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu to expand Nigeria’s aviation frontiers and promote stronger air transport linkages across Africa.
The meeting concluded with mutual agreement on continuous engagement between relevant aviation authorities in both countries to expedite the necessary approvals and operational arrangements.
Tanzania seeks direct flights to Nigeria as envoy meets Aviation Minister Keyamo - VANGUARD
By Nnasom David
The Government of Tanzania has expressed interest in establishing direct flight connections with Nigeria, aiming to strengthen bilateral ties and enhance regional integration.
This development was made public during a meeting on Tuesday, April 9, between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and a delegation from the Tanzanian High Commission led by Mrs. Judica Elfadhili Nagunwa, Head of Chancery.
Held in Abuja, the meeting focused on increasing air connectivity between the two countries. Mrs. Nagunwa conveyed her government’s desire to foster closer relations with Nigeria, emphasizing that Air Tanzania is keen on launching direct flights into the country.
“We believe that launching direct flights will significantly boost trade, tourism, and people-to-people connections between our countries,” she said. “Tanzania is fully committed to working with the Nigerian government and its aviation authorities to make this a reality.”
Minister Keyamo welcomed the proposal, stating that it aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which includes expanding Nigeria’s aviation sector and enhancing inter-African partnerships.
“This initiative supports our broader goals under the Renewed Hope Agenda. Nigeria is open to partnerships that strengthen aviation ties across the continent,” Keyamo said. “We will work closely with our Tanzanian counterparts to ensure all regulatory and bilateral frameworks are followed for a seamless process.”
Both parties agreed to maintain continuous engagement between the relevant aviation authorities in Nigeria and Tanzania to expedite approvals and operational logistics.
Airlines slash flight prices to US after anti-Trump backlash hits tourist numbers - INDEPENDENT
BY Simon Calder
As official US data reveals a 17 per cent year-on-year slump in Europeans visiting the United States in March 2025, airlines are slashing summer prices to fill planes.
Normally nonstop air fares between the UK and US soar towards £1,000 return in July and August.
But The Independent has found Manchester-New York flights on Aer Lingus on sale for just £368 return.
Between London Heathrow and San Francisco, Air Canada – faced with a slump in demand to the US – is offering fares of £511 return in July, with a connection in Toronto or Montreal.
Europeans are able to access very low fares via the UK. British Airways is selling return tickets from Copenhagen via London Heathrow to New York JFK in the peak holiday month of August for just £365 – less than half the cost of a London-New York flight alone.
The latest figures from the US International Trade Administration, which seeks to promote American tourism, show extraordinary declines from key European markets since Donald Trump was elected as president.
Immediately upon taking office, Mr Trump ordered much tougher controls on “all aliens seeking admission to the United States,” demanding they are “vetted and screened to the maximum degree possible” – raising fears among prospective visitors that they may be deported.
In addition, the president has expressed a wish to acquire both Canada and Greenland for the US.
Although data on Canadian arrivals is not yet published in the official figures, the effect on the Danish market appears clear. Greenland is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Arrivals from Denmark to the US were down around one-third year-on-year.
Some of the slump is attributable to the early Easter in 2024, which boosted numbers last year. The shutdown of Heathrow on 21 March will have had a marginal effect, causing some European travellers to cancel trips altogether after more than 700 outbound flights were axed.
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Four months ago the research group Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics, predicted a 9 per cent increase in visitors to the US in 2025. That is now expected to be a 9 per cent decline. The organisation says: “Trump’s policies and pronouncements have produced a negative sentiment shift toward the US among international travellers.
“The correlating decline in international travel to the US is expected to be strongest in 2025, with persisting degrees of impact throughout the remainder of Trump’s second term.”
Tourism Economics identified as key headwinds, “negative sentiment” and “border and immigration policies and uncertainty”. It predicts a decline of over 20 per cent in visitor numbers from Canada.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it does not “retaliate against individuals for expressing their views”.
In an online statement the agency said: “Claims that CBP is searching more electronic media due to the administration change are false. CBP’s search numbers are consistent with increases since 2021, and less than 0.01 per cent of travellers have their devices searched.
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“These searches are conducted to detect digital contraband, terrorism-related content and information relevant to visitor admissibility, all of which play a critical role in national security.”
Britain is third only to Canada and Mexico as a source of tourists to the US. Visits from the UK to the US fell by one-seventh (14.3 per cent) in March 2025 compared with a year earlier, according to International Trade Administration figures.
Yet UK travel industry insiders say demand remains strong. Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership said: “Across our travel agency network we are not seeing any sign of a decline in demand for travel to the US currently, and bookings continue to be robust, with New York and Orlando performing as strong favourite US destinations.
"Given we have a late Easter this year, this will distort March booking patterns. However, week-on-week bookings to the US are definitely holding strong and as of 31 March sales across our travel agent partners were up 11 per cent compared to the previous week, and up 5 per cent compared to the same week last year.
“Generally the appetite for travel continues unabated, with factors like cost of living pressures and the hunt for value-driven options actually fuelling demand rather than diminishing it.”
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The president and CEO of New York City Tourism + Conventions, Julie Coker, predicts a 10 per cent increase in UK visits to the city in 2025.
Paul Charles, chief executive of The PC Agency and former director of communications for Virgin Atlantic, said: “While there are some early indications of a reduction in demand to the US, experience tells us that airlines, hotels and car hire firms usually tweak their prices and offer enticing offers to build back demand over time.
“Also, consumers still want to go away and that may lead to other destinations benefiting, such as Canada, inbound travel to the UK, wider Europe, and the Middle East as travellers search alternative places for their holidays.
“A silver lining for the industry is that many Easter and summer holiday bookings to the US will already have been booked, during the early part of the year, creating less worry about future revenues.”
Delta Air Lines, one of the giant American carriers, has cancelled its expansion plans for the second half of 2025 and warned that it will defer deliveries of new Airbus aircraft while tariffs remain in place.
The chief executive of Delta Air Lines, Ed Bastian, previously said the incoming Trump administration would be a “breath of fresh air” for airlines after what he called government “overreach” under President Joe Biden.
His company donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural fund, along with the same amount from United Airlines and Boeing.
Paul English, co-founder of the travel website Kayak told the FT: “In just two months [Trump] has destroyed the reputation of the US, shown one way by diminished travel from the EU to the US. This is not only one more terrible blow to the US economy, it also represents reputation damage that could take generations to repair.”
US: Millions of inbound international visitors in 2024
Canada: 24
Mexico: 17
UK: 4
India: 2
Germany: 2
Brazil: 2
Japan: 2
Source: US International Trade Administration; figures rounded to the nearest million
High UK visa costs deter international scientists and engineers - REUTERS
By Sachin Ravikumar
LONDON (Reuters) - It took Ed Roberts over a year to find a senior scientist to work at his cancer research laboratory in Scotland, a delay he blames on high UK visa costs that made it harder to attract international workers.
Scientific academy the Royal Society says UK immigration fees for foreign workers are up to 17 times higher than the average for other leading science nations, inflated in part by an upfront charge to access Britain's state-run health service.
The Society, scientists, consultants and a lawmaker who spoke to Reuters said the fees are making it harder to hire global talent to fill Britain's skills gap and undermining Prime Minister Keir Starmer's "mission" to grow the economy.
They also risk efforts to attract scientists who may leave the United States following President Donald Trump's cuts to research funding.
"If we can't convince people to come here, they're going somewhere else," said Roberts, who interviewed a mix of British and foreign candidates for the specialised role. "It's definitely slowing down research."
Fees for visas to live and work in Britain have increased as successive governments vowed to cut record net migration.
Roberts said an immunology researcher from Hong Kong rejected an offer to join his Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute over the roughly 15,000-pound ($19,800) upfront bill he would have to pay to move to Britain with his wife and child.
Like many other employers, the lab will reimburse visa costs for the employee but not accompanying family members.
Reuters was not able to contact the Hong Kong researcher.
Frenchman Baptiste Brauge was reimbursed for his 4,400-pound visa fee when he took up a separate role with Roberts. Even so, it was "frightening" to initially part with a large chunk of his personal savings, the 28-year-old researcher said.
Britain's Immigration Health Surcharge (IHS) went up by 66% last year, reaching 1,035 pounds a year per adult.
"As soon as these kind of things come in, the number of applicants we have go down," Roberts said. "It just makes it hard to convince them that this is an attractive place to be."
Starmer's government, which has commissioned a review of labour shortages in sectors including IT and engineering, says it is difficult to compare different countries' visa costs.
It said a policy paper would soon set out a plan "to restore order to our broken immigration system, linking immigration, skills and visa systems to grow our domestic workforce, end reliance on overseas labour and boost economic growth".
UPFRONT COSTS
Britain currently charges businesses 12,120 pounds for a typical five-year skilled worker visa - nearly 60% more than in 2021, said Louise Haycock, a partner at immigration services firm Fragomen. Adding a partner and two children could push the upfront cost to 30,000 pounds.
According to the Royal Society, even Britain's specialist route for researchers and innovators, the Global Talent Visa, is the most expensive among comparable visas of 18 leading science nations, including the U.S., China, Japan, France and Germany.
The Society said it was hard to estimate how many people had been discouraged from applying for British jobs.
Cancer Research UK estimates it will spend 700,000 pounds on immigration fees annually - money it says could be used in the fight against cancer.
British fees have been increased as net migration hit record levels in recent years, fuelling a debate over the ability of strained public services to cope with population growth versus the need for foreign workers to drive the economy.
The former Conservative government also raised the minimum salary threshold for immigrant workers by nearly 50%, hoping to deter what it described as "cut-price foreign labour".
FALLING VISA DEMAND
Visas granted for science, research and engineering roles fell by a third in the second half of 2024 from the same period a year earlier, Home Office data shows. The fall, which followed the increases to the salary threshold and IHS, was broadly in line with a drop in overall work visas.
Alison Noble, a senior academic and the Royal Society's foreign secretary, said the costs will limit Britain's ability to court those who may seek to leave the U.S. after Trump's administration cut funding for universities and research bodies.
"One factor will be, can they afford it, or how open and welcoming is a country?" Noble told Reuters.
Starmer's artificial intelligence adviser, Matt Clifford, warned in the government's AI Opportunities Action Plan that the "cost and complexity" of visas created barriers for startups and deterred overseas talent from coming to the UK.
Although home to world-famous universities including Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College London, Britain has a severe science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills shortage.
Of 934,000 vacancies recorded in the economy at the end of 2023, about 46% were in STEM-related fields, a University of Cambridge report said last year.
Fragomen's Haycock said engineering had been hit hard by the salary threshold rising because of its reliance on overseas workers, forcing businesses outside London with typically lower salaries to pay significantly more.
Julia King, a lawmaker who chaired the Science and Technology Committee in parliament's upper House of Lords until January, described the restrictive visa policy as an "act of national self-harm".
"If we're going to get growth in this country, it's going to be in these knowledge-intensive areas," King, an engineer who also serves as chancellor at a research university in England, told Reuters. "We're shooting ourselves in the foot."
($1 = 0.7577 pounds)
(Editing by Kate Holton and Catherine Evans)
The plight of Nigeria’s Christians - THE SPECTATOR
The persecution of Nigeria’s Christians is medieval in its horror. Villages are surrounded in the dead of night by bandits who rape and kill the inhabitants. No one is spared: women and children are among those butchered.
The Makurdi Diocese, in Nigeria’s Middle Belt Benue state, has been hit badly by this savage violence. In 2024, 549 locals in this diocese alone were murdered and dozens more kidnapped. Over 3,700 people in Makurdi have been killed since 2015. Villages have been effectively wiped off the map. Over a million Nigerians, terrified of what might await them, have chosen instead to live in Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps.
Wilfred Anagbe, the Catholic Bishop of the diocese of Makurdi, home to about a million people, says the massacres are a systematic attempt to kill Christians and Islamise the region – and that the authorities are turning a blind eye to the killing of Christians:
‘The quest to Islamise the land is high on the agenda of some of the most powerful and influential Muslims in Nigeria.
Indian man says his US visa for Florida holiday was rejected in less than a minute - INDEPENDENT
BY Rebecca Whittaker
An Indian man claimed his U.S. visa for a dream holiday to Florida was rejected in less than a minute after answering just three questions.
The man who was applying for a visa which is typically used for tourism or short business visits shared his ordeal on social media site Reddit, in hopes of finding out why he was rejected.
In his post, the man with the username "nobody01810" shared that he appeared for the visa interview at the U.S. Embassy in New Delhi.
"I had my B1/B2 visa interview at the U.S. Embassy recently, and I was rejected in less than a minute after just three questions. I'm trying to understand what went wrong and how I can improve for next time," he said.
He says he was asked by the interviewer: "Why do you want to travel to the US? Have you travelled outside of India? And do you have any family or friends in the US?"
The applicant said he answered all three questions honestly explaining he wanted a holiday in Florida, had no prior international travel experience and did have a girlfriend living in Florida.
But the US embassy officer apparently wasn't convinced, and his visa was said to have been denied in less than a minute.
Commenting on the incident he wrote: "What do you think triggered the quick rejection? Could I have answered differently while still being honest? Should I have avoided mentioning my girlfriend if my trip was meant to be for tourism? What steps would you recommend before reapplying?"
The user did not explain how or why he had a girlfriend living in Florida if he had no history of international travel.
Scores of comments followed the post in the USvisascheduling channel, discussing why he was rejected and what else he could have done.
It comes as Trump takes a tougher stance on visas which has seen him not only crackdown on illegal immigrants, but legal immigrants and tourists.
In March a French scientist was refused entry to the US after airport immigration officers found messages on his phone criticizing the Trump administration, according to the French government.
The space researcher had traveled to Texas for a conference near Houston, a source told AFP.
When he arrived in the US the researcher was subject to a random check, including a search of his work computer and his personal phone.
Officers had found messages discussing the Trump administration’s treatment of scientists, the source added.
The researcher was reportedly accused of writing messages “that reflect hatred toward Trump and can be described as terrorism,” and his equipment was confiscated before he was put on a plane back to Europe the following day.
Panic as U.S. cancels visas of over 901 international students, including Nigerians - BUSINESSDAY
A wave of panic has swept across United States college campuses as federal authorities abruptly cancelled the visas and legal status of hundreds of 901 international students, including Nigerians, without prior warning or explanation.
At least 901 students from 128 colleges have been affected so far, according to a review by the Associated Press.
The true figure may be even higher, advocacy groups warn, as more cases continue to emerge.
While the majority of affected students are reportedly from India and China, immigration attorneys say no region is being spared.
“This started out seeming like a glitch, but now it’s coming fast and furious,” Matthew Maiona, an immigration attorney based in Boston, said.
The cancellations, which appear to be linked to minor violations in many cases, including traffic infractions, have blindsided students, some of whom were only weeks away from graduation or starting employment.
Four students in Michigan have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government, alleging they were not given any reason for their sudden status termination.
Similar legal battles are playing out in other states, with some judges in New Hampshire, Wisconsin, and Montana temporarily restoring students’ legal status.
In a departure from standard procedures, universities are now finding out about the terminations directly through the government’s immigration database — often before the students themselves receive any notification.
The lack of official communication from the U.S. State Department or the Department of Homeland Security has only deepened the anxiety.
Some students have been advised to leave the country immediately, while others are choosing to stay and file appeals, hoping to avoid detention or deportation.
Many now carry their immigration documents at all times and have altered their routines out of fear.
“It’s scary. You don’t know if you’ll be the next one”, a Chinese Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill”, said.
With no clear answers in sight, students and universities alike remain on edge, caught in an immigration clampdown that few saw coming.
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