United Kingdom expands detention capacity to speed up deportations
The United Kingdom government has commenced move for easy deportation of illegal residents in the country, following agreement signed by Nigeria government and the country during recently concluded visit by President Bola Tinubu.
Penpushing reports that the move followed announcement by the United Kingdom of plans to increase detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the country more quickly.
The United Kingdom Home Office in a post on Sunday via its official X handle said the expanded capacity is intended to support enforcement efforts and accelerate deportations of individuals without legal status in the country.
“We’re increasing detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the UK faster,” the post read.
Penpushing further reports that it would be recalled that the pact, formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and United Kingdom Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, facilitates the quicker repatriation of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted Nigerian offenders from the United Kingdom.
The Nigeria under the deal, will accept United Kingdom-issued letters as valid identification for deportees, removing a major bureaucratic hurdle, while the United Kingdom data, approximately 961 Nigerians have exhausted all asylum appeal rights, and an additional 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders are currently awaiting deportation.
Penpushing also reports that the agreement is projected to accelerate returns for these over 2,000 Nigerians and others without legal right to remain in Britain, however, critics on social media expressed scepticism, warning that the agreement could lead to mass deportations of Nigerians.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajayi reacting on the development clarified on Friday that only undocumented Nigerians are affected.
“For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the state visit of President Tinubu on behalf of the government of Nigeria, and Home Secretary Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood, on behalf of the UK government, only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK’, he said.
Penpushing reports that Ajay added that Nigeria would not be receiving non-Nigerian nationals under the arrangement, and that the United Kingdom was not compelling Nigeria to accept individuals who were not its citizens.
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