The United Kingdom has deported 43 individuals, including failed asylum seekers and foreign offenders, to Nigeria and Ghana, according to a joint statement released on Friday by the UK Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Although the exact date of the deportation flight was not disclosed, authorities confirmed that 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences were among those removed. An additional seven individuals reportedly returned voluntarily. However, the statement did not clarify the specific number of deportees sent to each country, nor did it confirm whether all of the individuals were citizens of Nigeria and Ghana.
The latest operation follows a growing trend of removals to West Africa under Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s administration. Since Starmer assumed office last year, two chartered flights have returned a total of 87 people to Nigeria and Ghana. In October 2024, the UK deported 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians in what was the largest deportation flight to the region so far.
The UK’s renewed focus on Nigeria and Ghana comes after its controversial migration deal with Rwanda, signed in 2022, was ruled unlawful by the UK Supreme Court in 2023. That deal had sought to relocate asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and resettlement, but its collapse led the UK to pursue new bilateral arrangements, including an apparent deportation agreement with Nigeria.
Angela Eagle, the UK’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum, commended the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments for their cooperation in the latest removals.
“This operation reflects the strong partnership between the UK, Nigeria and Ghana in tackling illegal migration,” the statement noted.
The UK Home Office also disclosed that over 24,000 people have been deported in the past year, representing an 11 per cent increase compared to the previous year. The government maintains that deportations remain a key part of its strategy to control illegal migration and uphold the integrity of its immigration system.
