UK expands detention capacity to speed up deportations

UK expands detention capacity to speed up deportations

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo during the migration agreement signed during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom..

The United Kingdom government has announced plans to increase detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the country more quickly.

In a post on Sunday via its official X handle, the UK Home Office said the expanded capacity is intended to support enforcement efforts and accelerate deportations of individuals without legal status in the country.

“We’re increasing detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the UK faster,” the post read.

PUNCH Online reports that the announcement comes shortly after Nigeria and the UK signed a bilateral agreement during President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit to Britain last week.

The pact, formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, facilitates the quicker repatriation of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted Nigerian offenders from the UK.

Under the deal, Nigeria will accept UK-issued letters as valid identification for deportees, removing a major bureaucratic hurdle.

According to UK data, approximately 961 Nigerians have exhausted all asylum appeal rights, and an additional 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders are currently awaiting deportation.

The agreement is projected to accelerate returns for these over 2,000 Nigerians and others without legal right to remain in Britain.

However, critics on social media expressed scepticism, warning that the agreement could lead to mass deportations of Nigerians.

Reacting, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity clarified on Friday that only undocumented Nigerians are affected.

“For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the state visit of President Tinubu on behalf of the government of Nigeria, and Home Secretary Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood, on behalf of the UK government, only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK,” Ajayi said.

He added that Nigeria would not be receiving non-Nigerian nationals under the arrangement, and that the UK was not compelling Nigeria to accept individuals who were not its citizens.