Student with kidney disease faces removal from UK
By Jason Arunn Murugesu,
BBC News, North East and Cumbria

Sue Agazie, as well as her son and husband, has been told to leave the UK.

A student with stage five kidney disease faces removal from the UK for not paying her PhD fees.
Sue Agazie, an international student at Newcastle University and originally from Nigeria, has been told she needs to leave the UK by 20 July or make a new application to stay.
But she says her inability to pay for high quality healthcare in Nigeria means being sent there is like a "death sentence".
The university said "all international students are subject to strict Home Office rules" but it would not discuss individual cases.
Mrs Agazie is one of two students who have made an official complaint over alleged promises made to convince the pair to study in the UK.
She says her supervisor promised her funding when she was recruited which did not materialise and therefore resulted in her being unable to pay her fees.
The supervisor has been approached for comment.
Transplant wait
Mrs Agazie says the past year has been "the most difficult of my life".
She was diagnosed with stage five kidney disease in September 2023, meaning her kidneys are close to or have completely failed.
She is on a waiting list for a kidney transplant.
"I have to check my blood pressure almost every two or three hours," she says.
Mrs Agazie says she does not have the money to get high quality healthcare for her disease in Nigeria.
She has been told she, along with her six-year-old child and husband who came to the UK as her dependents, must leave the UK by 20 July as she has not paid her PhD fees.
'Meant to protect'
Mrs Agazie argues the university did not need to immediately report her to the Home Office as her inability to pay her fees is directly linked to her complaint.
The university said it must "legally follow sponsor immigration guidance, informing United Kingdom Visas and Immigration (UKVI) of certain changes".
Facing over £2,000 of debt for her university accommodation, Mrs Agazie is using foodbanks.
She says the university has not taken her disability seriously and been actively hostile to her.
"I've been really surprised by the way the university has treated me.
"This is not what we were told – it is not the way British universities are sold to us in our country.
"The university is meant to protect and support me."
The university is currently investigating Mrs Agazie's complaint.
"Throughout the process, we offer additional support to our students through our Student Health and Wellbeing Service," a university spokesperson said.
~ Culled from BBC.


My own is Nigerians should please avoid UK. I like her major complaint that the school made her promises, yes....promises that convinced her to Think the UK with it's attendant high tuition and living expenses!

I don't understand why anyone would pay for a PhD. Isn't that equivalent to paying to work for someone cause a PhD is deep work. Deep research work.

I always predicted there will be a wave of reverse emigration; Japa-da.

Those that would rush and return back .... sadly, almost empty handed.

Most people who japaed in 1990s, early and mid 2000s often had concrete plans of what to do. Of course some in recent times still plan well.

Bitter truth is, many in the most recent waves japaed out of desperation and some with no clear plans. And because of the bad exchange rate especially since APC's disastrous 9 years, most sell off everything to get meagre startup capital / relocation costs.

If things don't pan out, it's between the devil and deep blue sea. Burnt bridges going forward and backwards.

UK doesn't give a hoot. They are not the Red Cross. The woman in this story will be deported. They deported a Sri Lankan man who had wife and kids who were British citizens and he died back home.

Healthcare in the developed world is VERY expensive. Waiting on organ transplant list is akin to a death sentence even for their own citizens.

She stands a better chance back home - harsh truth.

tensazangetsu20:
I don't understand why anyone would pay for a PhD. Isn't that equivalent to paying to work for someone cause a PhD is deep work. Deep research work.

There are people that like teaching and research

PhD simply helps them accomplish that

Asiwaju led APC govt isn't living up to its responsibility, otherwise many would love to jejely Japa back!

Abroad is sweet, is not when you are weighed down with immigration issues.....

Kaczynski:


There are people that like teaching and research

PhD simply helps them accomplish that

PHD is sponsored in almost all developed countries. Why will someone sanely pay for his/her own PHD when funding is available with multiple options in different regions? That's the Stan Tenza was taking. Unless you feel you're financially boyant (even at this there's pride with funding), it's not worth it paying for your PHD.

Do you know the cost of taking some research activities? Why do you think professors get funded yearly to recruit PHDs students? Nahhhh. It's not worth it.

I'd be surprised any sane people would accepted PhD Admission without 70-99% funding! How on earth would they fund the intrinsic ressearch such education requires?

Hannania:
PHD is sponsored in almost all developed countries. Why will someone sanely pay for his/her own PHD when funding is available with multiple options in different regions? That's the Stan Tenza was taking. Unless you feel you're financially boyant (even at this there's pride with funding), it's not worth it paying for your PHD.

Do you know the cost of taking some research activities? Why do you think professors get funded yearly to recruit PHDs students? Nahhhh. It's not worth it.

Succor will definitely come her way as she has good leverage been a lady, and still in school!

Bigkoko:
I'd be surprised any sane people would accepted PhD Admission without 70-99% funding! How on earth would they fund the intrinsic ressearch such education requires?

UK's educational system has over the years evolved as a cash cow to milk international students. It's surprising that even so the called learned Nigerians can fall for self sponsored PHD with plans to work there and pay.

The UK has no real economic sectors, save a strong health care system paid for by workers who saved hard and long while working! So I sometimes imagine how someone would spend a whopping 15k GBP for a paper that's worth nothing in studies that are not useful in comtemporary world. What do I know? Their money, their decisions, their risks!

Hannania:
UK's educational system has over the years evolved as a cash cow to milk international students. It's surprising that even so the called learned Nigerians can fall for self sponsored PHD with plans to work there and pay.

People should stop using UK's education system as a route to Japa. The truth is, 99% of students are actually planning to stay over after their studies. Reason why Indians, Nigerians, Chinese and Bangladeshi people are in majority, because most of them are just economic migrants, with education as the easiest route to japa. The Universities in UK are selling immigration and not education. If the lady in question have letter, evidencing that her professor promised her funding before coming for the PHD program, she should tender it. Nobody sponsors himself or herself for a PHD program overseas. Ph.D abroad is very selective and Professors must take you as a student first, before the Registrars processes your admission. Moreover, funding covers only tuition and research expenses and not living expenses - this one that she is also complaining of inability to settle her accommodation. Did the professor promised to take care of her accommodation as well? I hope it is not format, as we Nigerians are never short of format to use once there is a removal order.

Well written.... 10 Downing Street won't want to shake the main table: That the UK education system sells "immigration" rather than education, and uses the money accrued from such schemes to run their schools!

In all my travels, I have never heard of people going for PhD on their own funding! Infact Visas and other immigration documents are usually waived or subsidized. Because PhD programs are usually very expensive to complete!

Focusmind:
People should stop using UK's education system as a route to Japa. The truth is, 99% of students are actually planning to stay over after their studies. Reason why Indians, Nigerians, Chinese and Bangladeshi people are in majority, because most of them are just economic migrants, with education as the easiest route to japa. The Universities in UK are selling immigration and not education. If the lady in question have letter, evidencing that her professor promised her funding before coming for the PHD program, she should tender it. Nobody sponsors himself or herself for a PHD program overseas. Ph.D abroad is very selective and Professors must take you as a student first, before the Registrars processes your admission. Moreover, funding covers only tuition and research expenses and not living expenses - this one that she is also complaining of inability to settle her accommodation. Did the professor promised to take care of her accommodation as well? I hope it is not format, as we Nigerians are never short of format to use once there is a removal order.