Our new landmark agreement with Nigeria will increase the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals to make our streets and country safer and take the fight to the criminal people smugglers together to tackle illegal migration
President Muhammadu Buhari has signed a deportation deal with the United Kingdom that would result in the expulsion of illegal immigrants and criminals from Nigeria. The majority of the deportees were originally from Nigeria, however, it was unclear if all of those due to be brought into the nation from the United Kingdom had Nigerian ancestors.
Home Secretary Priti Patel called the memorandum of understanding a “landmark deal” on Thursday, citing it as an example of Brexit Britain’s new immigration policies.
“Our new landmark agreement with Nigeria will increase the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals to make our streets and country safer and take the fight to the criminal people smugglers together to tackle illegal migration,” Ms Patel said on Twitter.
According to official figures, there are 9,815 foreign offenders in UK jails.
The Boris Johnson-led administration said in Britain’s ‘New Plan for Immigration,’ issued in March, that Britain had “taken back control of our legal immigration system by ending free movement and introducing a new points-based immigration system.”
“The UK now decides who comes to our country based on the skills people have to offer, not where their passport is from,” according to the strategy statement.
Forbes reported on Thursday that the first wave of deportees had departed the UK for Nigeria and Ghana. According to Forbes, 13 Nigerians were deported to Lagos before the aeroplane continued to Ghana, where eight Ghanaians arrived.
“The UK only ever returns individuals to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so. All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest country information,” a spokeswoman for the Home Office told Forbes.
After the Home Office revealed intentions to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda in April, there has been a lot of talk about deportation and migration from the UK.
The Rwanda proposal would have sent asylum seekers who crossed the Channel to the UK on an aircraft to Rwanda to seek refuge. According to the government, the initiative would dissuade others from crossing the Channel. The involvement of the European Court of Human Rights has put a halt to the preparations.
