NEWS STORY : UK Deports 43 Immigration Offenders to Nigeria and Ghana Amid Intensified Border Enforcement
STORY
The UK government has deported 43 individuals to Nigeria and Ghana as part of its intensified efforts to enforce immigration laws and secure national borders. The operation, conducted via a charter flight, included 15 failed asylum seekers, 11 foreign national offenders who had completed their sentences and 7 voluntary returnees.
This latest deportation is part of the government’s “Plan for Change” aimed at restoring order to the immigration system. Since the election, over 24,000 individuals have been returned, marking an 11% increase compared to the same period the previous year. Additionally, deportations of foreign national offenders have risen by 16%, with 3,594 criminals removed.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Dame Angela Eagle DBE MP, stated:
“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.”
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, FCDO Minister responsible for Irregular Migration, added:
“Working with other countries and partners around the world is critical to tackling irregular migration – by working internationally, we will meet this global challenge together. I welcome our strong cooperation with Ghana and Nigeria to return those with no right to be in the UK, secure our borders, and deliver on the Plan for Change.”
The operation follows the Organised Immigration Crime Summit, where the UK collaborated with over 40 countries, including Nigeria and Ghana, to combat smuggling gangs and enhance border security. The Home Office emphasised that all returns are conducted in a dignified and respectful manner, in line with international standards and human rights obligations.
