Nigerian migrant families, child safeguarding, and protection in the UK: The good, the bad and the ugly. (Part 1)

Since 2021, the number of foreign nationals, especially Nigerians migrating to the United Kingdom has been on the increase. The number has been so high that Nigerians all over the world began to call the exodus, ‘japa’. Japa is a Yoruba word that connotes the, ‘the movement of a citizen from Nigeria to another country, without an immediate plan of returning back to the country’. In 2020 about 16,000 Nigerians migrated to the UK but in 2021 to 2022, the numbers rose higher than ever. According to the 2021/2022 Census, over 32% of all foreign-born residents in the UK came from six countries, with Nigeria in sixth place contributing about 294, 000, while India, Poland, Pakistan, Romania and Ireland occupied the top five positions.

For different reasons, Nigerians have been migrating to the UK en-mass in the last four years. Incidentally, a lot of them came into the country with their children. Almost all Nigerian families that migrated would say they left their country in search of a better future for their children, having heard of the opportunities available in the UK. So they can work and contribute to the UK professionally while also participating in community development initiatives.