The United Kingdom has deported an unprecedented number of Nigerian and Ghanaian asylum seekers to their home countries, as part of what the UK Home Office has described as a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns.
According to a report by the UK Guardian, 44 West African nationals were placed on a flight last Friday, marking a significant increase in deportations to these countries. The Home Office noted that there have only been four recorded deportations to Nigeria and Ghana since 2020.
The Guardian spoke to four Nigerians who were being held at the Brook House immigration removal centre, near Gatwick Airport, prior to their deportation. One individual expressed that he was “very traumatised” by the experience, while another revealed that he had been in the UK for 15 years as an asylum seeker with no criminal record, but had his claim refused by the Home Office.
The deportations have sparked concerns among human rights advocates and refugee support groups, who argue that many of these individuals may face persecution or danger upon their return to their home countries. Critics have also questioned the fairness and transparency of the UK’s asylum process, citing the high rate of refusals and the lack of adequate legal support for asylum seekers.
In response to the incident, a Home Office spokesperson stated, “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.”
The spokesperson’s statement highlights the UK government’s increasingly hardline stance on immigration, which has been a contentious issue in recent years. The Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, has pledged to reduce net migration and tighten border controls, a position that has drawn both support and criticism from various sectors of British society.
