UK intensifies security, deports 43 Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals, lauds cooperation on security
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
A total 43 Nigerian and Ghanaian nationals have newly been deported by the United Kingdom, among them 15 failed asylum seekers, 11 convicted offenders who have served out their prison terms, and seven who voluntarily agreed to return.
The UK explained that it is part of its ongoing border security measures under the “Plan for Change” scheme, according to a report published on Friday on gov.uk.
This is the second deportation flight to Nigeria and Ghana since the last UK general election in July 2024, and raises to 87 the total number of deportees to the two countries in recent years.
Officials said this reflects strengthening diplomatic ties and cooperation on immigration enforcement between the UK, Nigeria, and Ghana.
Since the current Labour government came to power last July, more than 24,000 individuals have been deported, an 11 per cent rise compared to 2023. Deportations of foreign national offenders rose 16 per cent, with 3,594 removed from the country.
The authorities explained that all removals were conducted “in a dignified and respectful manner.”
Angela Eagle, UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said: “This flight demonstrates how international partnerships deliver on working people’s priorities for swift returns and secure borders.
“Through the Plan for Change, we’re going further in restoring order to a broken system, accelerating returns of those with no right to be here and closing expensive asylum hotels.”
She thanked the governments of Nigeria and Ghana for their role in facilitating the deportations, stressing the mutual commitment to disrupting organised immigration crime.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister for Irregular Migration at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), added that “Working internationally is critical to tackling irregular migration.
“I welcome our strong cooperation with Ghana and Nigeria to return those with no right to be in the UK and deliver on the Plan for Change.”
The latest deportations follow the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, where the UK convened over 40 countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, to intensify the global fight against smuggling gangs and secure international borders.
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