The Nigerian government on Thursday signed a deportation deal with government of the United Kingdom, which will allow the deportation of Nigerian illegal immigrants and criminals from the UK.
British Home Secretary, Priti Patel revealed the development in a tweet, describing the Memorandum of Understanding as a “landmark agreement” that would help “take the fight to the criminal people smugglers to tackle illegal immigration.”
“Our new landmark agreement with Nigeria will increase the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals to make our streets & country safer,” Patel tweeted on Thursday.
The deal was reached the same day 13 Nigerians were deported from the UK for different violations. Eight of the deported persons were convicted criminals while the remaining five had entered the UK illegally.
Daily Mail reported that 8 Ghanaians were also deported the same day.
“The UK only ever returns individuals to their country of origin when the Home Office and, where applicable, the courts deem it is safe to do so. All asylum and human rights claims are carefully considered in accordance with our international obligations. Each individual assessment is made against the background of relevant case law and the latest country information,” Home Office told Forbes.
Meanwhile, Patel said the agreement will serve the interests of both countries.
“The deal will mean that operational teams in both countries will share their expertise to take the fight to criminal people smugglers who are responsible for a wider range of criminality and put profit before people while undermining the security of our two countries,” she said.
“This landmark agreement will increase the deportation of dangerous foreign criminals to make our streets and country safer.”
The British government has sought to crack down on illegal immigration and last month, parliament passed controversial reforms which introduce maximum life sentences for people smugglers.
The Nationality and Borders Act also imposes tougher jail terms for anyone arriving illegally in the country, which has raised fears it could be used against asylum-seekers and refugees.
In April, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that Britain will send migrants and asylum-seekers who cross the Channel thousands of miles away to Rwanda under a controversial deal as the government tries to clamp down on record numbers of people making the perilous journey.
“From today… anyone entering the UK illegally as well as those who have arrived illegally since January 1 may now be relocated to Rwanda,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a speech near Dover in southeastern England on April 14.
Official estimates place the number of foreign criminals in UK prisons at 9,815, Peoples Gazette reports.
In Britain’s ‘New Plan for Immigration’, published in March, the Boris Johnson-led government said Britain had “taken back control of our legal immigration system by ending free movement and introducing a new points-based immigration system.”
“The UK now decides who comes to our country based on the skills people have to offer, not where their passport is from,” the policy document said.
