In an era defined by the "Global Britain" strategy and post-pandemic recovery efforts, the United Kingdom's engagement with former colonies through aid and migration frameworks continues to be portrayed as mutually beneficial development partnerships. This research demonstrates that these frameworks operate as sophisticated mechanisms of neo-colonial extraction, systematically transferring both financial and human capital from postcolonial states to the metropole. Through comparative analysis of India and Nigeria, this study examines how contemporary UK aid and migration policies reshape social representations, collective identity constructs, and indigenous knowledge systems. Employing a mixed-methods approach, including surveys (N = 800) and 80 in-depth interviews conducted in 2024, we investigate how aid discourses and migration aspirations interact to produce culturally hybrid but psychologically destabilized identities. Quantitative analysis reveals a strong correlation between the escalating financial burdens of migration (including the 66% IHS surcharge increase in 2024) and perceptions of extractive UK relationships (r = 0.67, p < .01). Qualitative findings further demonstrate that migration and aid collectively reorient youth futurity toward external validation while systematically marginalizing indigenous knowledge systems. We argue that UK development and migration policies sustain a form of cultural dependency that reproduces colonial hierarchies under the veneer of mutual benefit, with significant implications for both source countries and the UK's ethical standing in a multipolar world.
United Kingdom aid, FCDO, migration, neo-colonialism, social representation, brain drain, Japa Syndrome, India, Nigeria, identity, indigenous knowledge.
International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development - IJTSRD having
online ISSN 2456-6470. IJTSRD is a leading Open Access, Peer-Reviewed International
Journal which provides rapid publication of your research articles and aims to promote
the theory and practice along with knowledge sharing between researchers, developers,
engineers, students, and practitioners working in and around the world in many areas
like Sciences, Technology, Innovation, Engineering, Agriculture, Management and
many more and it is recommended by all Universities, review articles and short communications
in all subjects. IJTSRD running an International Journal who are proving quality
publication of peer reviewed and refereed international journals from diverse fields
that emphasizes new research, development and their applications. IJTSRD provides
an online access to exchange your research work, technical notes & surveying results
among professionals throughout the world in e-journals. IJTSRD is a fastest growing
and dynamic professional organization. The aim of this organization is to provide
access not only to world class research resources, but through its professionals
aim to bring in a significant transformation in the real of open access journals
and online publishing.