UK Deports Record Number Of Nigerians And Ghanaians In Single Flight

A record number of Nigerians and Ghanaians were deported on a single flight, with 44 individuals forcibly removed on Friday, as confirmed by the Home Office.

This development coincides with news that any asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia before a treaty between the UK and Mauritius is finalized will be sent to Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the Atlantic Ocean.

The Chagos Islands agreement is expected to be signed next year, but approximately 60 Tamils stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021, who have mounted a legal challenge regarding their detention, will not be included in the Saint Helena arrangement.

A judgment on their unlawful detention claim is anticipated soon.

Read Also: Full List Of 45 Visa-Free Countries For Nigerian Passport Holders

The number of asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia since 2021 is in the hundreds, which pales in comparison to the tens of thousands crossing the Channel from northern France to the UK in recent years.

The Home Office stated on Friday that the deportations of Nigerians and Ghanaians were part of a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns.

Since Labour took power in July, around 3,600 individuals have been returned to various countries, including approximately 200 to Brazil and 46 on a flight to Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

Regular deportation flights to Albania, Lithuania, and Romania are also ongoing.

Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively uncommon, with only four recorded since 2020.

Previous flights had far fewer people on board, with only six, seven, 16, and 21 deported respectively. The recent flight had more than double that number.

According to *The Guardian* who spoke to several Nigerians held at Brook House immigration removal center near Gatwick before their deportation, One man attempted suicide, leaving his cellmate traumatized.

Another, who had been an asylum seeker in the UK for 15 years without a criminal record, expressed frustration over his rejected claim.

A third man, who had experienced exploitation as a child, showed torture scars and reported that his claim of being a trafficking victim was rejected. A fourth individual struggled to find a solicitor to challenge his removal.

Fizza Qureshi, chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, expressed shock at the “cruelty” of the deportations, criticizing the speed, secrecy, and lack of legal support. One detainee remarked, “The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help.”

A Home Office spokesperson responded, stating: “We have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are respected and enforced, with over 3,600 returned in the first two months of the new government.”

Source: The Guardian

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