Nigeria has signed a new deal with the United Kingdom (UK)
which will allow Britain deport thousands of failed asylum seekers and
criminals to the West African country.
The agreement was signed by Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, minister of
interior, and Shabana Mahmood, home secretary, during President Bola Tinubu’s
state visit to the UK, the Home Office announced on Thursday.
Tinubu’s two-day state visit spanned Wednesday and Thursday.
The new deal will also allow Britain to send visa
overstayers to Nigeria and comes with wide flexibility for the English country.
Under the agreement, the Nigerian government will, for the
first time, allow undocumented deportees to use UK letters, an alternative
identification certificate issued to individuals without a valid passport and
used to support the return of people with no right to remain in the UK.
Nigeria uses emergency travel documents as supplementary IDs
for undocumented travellers.
The Home Office said Nigeria’s willingness to accept UK
letters as an alternative removes one of the major administrative hurdles to
returning individuals to their countries.
The start date and duration of the deal were not specified.
It is also unclear if there will be any financial incentives.
In 2022, the UK struck a similar deal with Rwanda, agreeing
to pay at least £370 million to the East African nation as part of its plan to
relocate asylum seekers there. But that deal later went sour after British
Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the pact “dead”.
It is also uncertain if the deportees will include other
nationalities or be restricted to Nigerians.
Currently there are 961 Nigerian failed asylum seekers in
this country who have exhausted their rights of appeal, Daily Mail reports.
There are also 1,110 foreign national offenders from Nigeria
who the Home Office is waiting to deport.
Both groups are now more likely to be kicked out speedily.
Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s signatory to the deal shows that
“we are totally committed to being a responsible country in fulfilling our core
obligations”.
“And for us to sustain that relationship, we must remember:
‘He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.’ So, we need to be as open
and as fair as possible,” the minister said.
Alex Norris, UK minister for border security and asylum,
said Nigeria is a key partner in tackling illegal migration as the UK’s largest
African visa market.
“We owe everyone across the system fairness,” Norris said,
adding that “anyone who abuses our systems, breaks our laws or tries to cheat
their way into Britain will be stopped and removed”.
A further agreement to launch joint operations and share
information on criminal gangs abusing visa routes was also reached, the Home
Office added.
The deal was prompted by a string of high‑profile
cases involving fake job sponsorships, sham marriages, and forged financial or
employment records.
Nigeria is also set to review its laws to tackle immigration
crime, ensuring the toughest possible sentences are handed down to offenders.
The Home Office noted that a new partnership targeting
online scammers involved in romance fraud, investment scams and cryptocurrency
schemes would also deliver stronger protections for the UK public.
The new “fusion cell” model will bring together public‑sector
bodies, banks, tech firms and communications companies to rapidly share
intelligence on criminal tactics so swift action can be taken.
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