UK grants visa relief to Nigerian officers amid prison staffing crisis
UK grants visa relief to Nigerian officers amid prison staffing crisis
The United Kingdom Government has approved emergency visa extensions for hundreds of foreign prison officers, most of whom are Nigerians, following concerns that recent immigration rule changes could trigger a serious staffing shortage across the prison system.
The decision comes after warnings that several prisons were facing acute workforce pressures after visa regulations were tightened in July. The British Broadcasting Corporation reported that the exemption applies only to officers already in the UK and will remain in force until the end of 2026. Under the arrangement, a reduced salary threshold of £33,400 will continue to apply until December 31, 2027.
Earlier this year, the UK government increased the skilled worker visa salary threshold to £41,700 per year, a figure significantly higher than the average starting salary for prison officers, which is around £33,000 outside London. The move raised fears that thousands of overseas staff could be forced to leave the country.
The Prison Officers Association had cautioned that the new rules could result in the loss of more than 2,500 foreign recruits, describing the potential impact on prison stability as catastrophic. While welcoming the exemption, the union said it was a triumph of common sense.
Its General Secretary, Steve Gillan, said the decision would help maintain stability within the prison service, even if it did not resolve all underlying issues. The association’s national chairman, Mark Fairhurst, added that the extension had lifted the immediate threat of deportation hanging over many officers.
According to the BBC, The Times reported that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood initially opposed the exemption, arguing that recruitment efforts should prioritise British citizens. However, Justice Secretary David Lammy later confirmed he was in discussions with her, stressing that meeting immediate prison capacity needs was essential, despite longer-term goals of increasing local recruitment.
A Home Office source said prisons were being treated as a special case due to their role in public safety and national security, adding that the exemption was intended to be temporary. A Ministry of Justice source described the move as providing breathing space to enable a structured programme to recruit more UK-based officers.
A government spokesperson said net migration had already fallen sharply under the current administration but emphasised that public safety remained the government’s foremost responsibility, requiring prisons to operate safely with experienced staff.
The BBC also reported that prisons have been permitted to sponsor overseas recruits since 2023 because of a shortage of domestic applicants. More than 700 Nigerians were recruited into UK prisons last year, accounting for 29 per cent of applicants and 12 per cent of staff hired in England and Wales. Nigerians were the most common nationality after Britons to apply for or secure prison jobs in 2024, followed by Ghanaians, who received about 140 job offers.
