Mass Deportations from the UK to Nigeria Continue Amid Growing Controversies

 

UK Government Intensifies Deportation Efforts: Largest Flight Sends 44 to Nigeria and Ghana

The UK government has confirmed the deportation of 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians on a single flight, marking the largest such operation to date. This move is part of a broader initiative to ramp up immigration enforcement, with a total of 3,600 individuals repatriated to various countries since the Labour government took office in July.

Among the recent deportations, approximately 200 individuals have been sent back to Brazil, while 46 people were flown to Vietnam and Timor Leste. Regular repatriation flights continue to Albania, Lithuania, and Romania as well.

Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana have been infrequent, with only four recorded since 2020, each carrying significantly fewer passengers than the latest operation. This recent flight carried more than double the number of deportees compared to previous ones.

These heightened enforcement actions come amidst reports that asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia may be redirected to Saint Helena, one of the UK's most remote territories, while the government finalizes the return of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

Tragically, among those deported was a Nigerian man who attempted suicide while held at the Brook House immigration removal center near Gatwick. A cellmate who witnessed the incident expressed deep trauma over the experience. Another deportee shared their frustration, stating, "I have been an asylum seeker in the UK for 15 years with no criminal record, yet the Home Office has denied my claim."

Fizza Qureshi, CEO of the Migrants’ Rights Network, voiced serious concerns about the deportations. "We are appalled by the cruelty of these deportations, particularly the speed, secrecy, and lack of access to legal assistance. One detainee told us, 'The Home Office is playing politics with people's lives. We have done nothing wrong but seek help.'"

In response, a Home Office spokesperson stated, "We have launched a significant increase in immigration enforcement and returns to ensure compliance with the law, with over 3,600 removals carried out in the first two months of the new government."