Nigeria and UK Ink Deal to Fast-Track Deportation of Failed Asylum Seekers and Criminals

 

Nigeria has agreed to a major new partnership with the United Kingdom that will significantly speed up the return of Nigerians who have no legal right to remain in Britain, including convicted criminals, failed asylum seekers and visa overstayers.

The agreement, struck during President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s landmark state visit to the UK this week – the first by a West African leader in 37 years – removes a key administrative barrier to deportations. For the first time, the Nigerian government will recognise “UK letters”, an alternative identification document issued by the Home Office to individuals without a valid passport. This eliminates the previous requirement for Nigeria to issue emergency travel documents, allowing faster removals.

The deal was signed by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, welcomed the pact, saying:

“Anyone who abuses our systems, breaks our laws or tries to cheat their way into Britain will be stopped and removed. Today’s agreement is another step in our mission to restore order to the border by ensuring those who have no right to be here are swiftly removed. Nigeria is a key partner in our work to tackle illegal migration, as the UK’s largest African visa market and home to thousands of Nigerians who have built their lives here. We owe everyone across the system fairness.”

Nigeria’s Interior Minister Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo described the agreement as a demonstration of Nigeria’s commitment to responsible international cooperation.

“For us, as a country, we keep saying that we are totally committed to being a responsible country in fulfilling our core obligations,” he said. “It is good that we are starting this with the UK. This relationship with the UK means a lot to Nigeria. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown great commitment to this. So it is one relationship that we aim to be able to sustain for generations yet to come. 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. Hopefully, this strengthened partnership will be a template for other bilateral understandings.”

The partnership goes beyond returns. It includes joint operations and intelligence-sharing to crack down on criminal gangs abusing UK visa routes through fake job sponsorships, sham marriages and forged documents. A new standardised document-checking system will be introduced to verify applications. Nigeria has also committed to reviewing its laws to impose tougher sentences on immigration-related crimes.

Additional elements of the deal include enhanced protection for Nigerian women and children vulnerable to exploitation, improved business visa schemes to boost economic ties, and a new “fusion cell” partnership targeting online scammers involved in romance fraud, investment scams and cryptocurrency schemes.

Official UK figures show that annual returns to Nigeria have nearly doubled to 1,150. Overall returns and deportations of illegal migrants and foreign national offenders from the UK have reached nearly 60,000 since the 2024 general election.

The agreement underscores a shared commitment to safe, fair and well-managed migration between the two nations and is expected to ease pressure on the UK immigration system while reinforcing bilateral ties.

President Tinubu’s visit, hosted by King Charles III and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, has been hailed as historic and is expected to yield further economic and diplomatic benefits beyond migration.