The United Kingdom has deported 43 individuals to Nigeria and Ghana due to immigration violations, including failed asylum claims and criminal convictions.
In a joint statement issued on Friday by the Home Office and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), UK authorities confirmed the deportations but did not disclose the exact date of the removals.
According to the statement, the group included 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences.
Additionally, seven individuals voluntarily returned to their home countries.
“Those removed had no right to be in the UK and included 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign national offenders who had served their sentences. Seven people returned voluntarily,” the statement read.
The government did not specify how many individuals were sent to each country, nor did it confirm if all the deportees were citizens of Nigeria and Ghana.
Since Prime Minister Keir Starmer assumed office, the UK has conducted two charter deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana, expelling a total of 87 individuals.
In October, a record 44 people were deported in a single operation to both countries.
This development follows the collapse of the controversial UK-Rwanda migration deal, which the UK Supreme Court ruled unlawful in 2023.
The agreement had sought to transfer asylum seekers to Rwanda for processing and resettlement.
In its place, the UK has reportedly signed a deportation agreement with Nigeria to streamline the return of undocumented migrants.
Following the latest flight, UK Border Security and Asylum Minister Angela Eagle thanked the Nigerian and Ghanaian governments for their cooperation, describing the operation as a model of effective international collaboration.
The UK government also reported that more than 24,000 individuals have been removed from the country in the past year, marking an 11% increase compared to the previous year.
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