11 Nigerians Deported As Nigeria, UK Sign Agreement To Tackle Illegal Immigration
UK-Nigeria
The Nigerian Government has signed an agreement with the United Kingdom on tackling illegal migration, in line with Britain’s ‘New Plan For Immigration’ policy.
UK Home Office – Britain’s lead department for immigration and passports, drugs policy, crime, fire, counter-terrorism, and police – disclosed this on Friday via its verified Twitter handle.
It explained that the new agreement aimed at deterring illegal migration would enable both countries to work closer together on supporting safe and legal migration and speeding up the removal of foreign criminals.
According to Channel TV, the Home Secretary and member of the UK Parliament for Witham, Priti Patel, described the agreement as a landmark.
The development, she stated, would increase the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals and take the fight to the criminals who smuggle migrants.
21 Foreigners Removed
This comes amid criticism over the UK’s recently announced partnership with Rwanda to deport asylum seekers to the East African country.
Britain, however, stressed that the agreement with the Nigerian authorities would also promote ‘shared bilateral economic interests’ between both countries.
On Thursday, a flight chartered by the UK government was said to have conveyed no fewer than 21 people, comprising Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals to Lagos.
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According to BBC, 13 Nigerians were deported to Lagos while the plane proceeded to Ghana with eight citizens of the West African country. It was, however, silent on the identities of the remaining two persons.
The UK Home Office confirmed the development, although it did not disclose the identities of those expelled from its country.
It described the individuals as persons who lacked the right to be in the UK, adding that they included those with combined sentences of more than 64 years for crimes such as rape and sexual offences against children.
The UK Home Office said the government was committed to ending the abuse of its asylum system and removing those with no right to remain in the country.