Nigeria, UK sign deal on deportation of criminals, failed asylum seekers

Nigeria has signed a new agreement with the United Kingdom allowing Britain to deport failed asylum seekers and convicted criminals to the West African country.

The deal was signed by Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, according to the British Home Office.

Under the agreement, the UK will also be able to return visa overstayers to Nigeria, with expanded flexibility in the deportation process.

A key provision of the deal allows Nigeria, for the first time, to accept UK-issued letters as valid identification for individuals without passports, easing documentation challenges that previously delayed deportations.

The Home Office said the move removes a major administrative barrier to returning individuals to their home countries. However, details regarding the start date, duration, and any financial arrangements tied to the agreement were not disclosed.

The development follows a similar 2022 arrangement between the UK and Rwanda, which was later abandoned after Prime Minister Keir Starmer described it as “dead.”

It remains unclear whether the deportation agreement will apply strictly to Nigerian nationals or include individuals of other nationalities.

Official data indicates that 961 Nigerian failed asylum seekers have exhausted their appeal rights in the UK, while an additional 1,110 Nigerian nationals classified as foreign offenders are awaiting deportation.

Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s participation reflects its commitment to international obligations and responsible migration management.

“We are totally committed to being a responsible country in fulfilling our core obligations,” he said.

UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, described Nigeria as a key partner in addressing illegal migration, noting its status as the UK’s largest African visa market.

The agreement also includes provisions for joint operations and intelligence sharing to tackle criminal networks exploiting visa systems through fake sponsorships, sham marriages, and forged documents.

In addition, both countries plan to strengthen cooperation against online fraud, including romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency-related crimes, through a new intelligence-sharing framework known as a “fusion cell.”