UK Deports 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians Amid Immigration Crackdown

The UK intensifies deportations as 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians are sent home in a single flight, highlighting a rise in immigration enforcement

The UK deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians saw 44 individuals sent back to their home countries on Friday in a single flight. This mass deportation marks a significant move by the UK government, which has ramped up its immigration enforcement efforts. According to the UK Home Office, this operation is part of a broader surge in deportations under the current administration.

Since the Labour Party took power, over 3,600 individuals have been deported to various countries. Among these were 200 deportations to Brazil and another 46 sent to Vietnam and Timor Leste. Regular deportation flights have also been targeting other countries, such as Albania, Lithuania, and Romania.

Though UK deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians has been infrequent, with only four flights recorded since 2020, Friday’s operation was notable. Previous deportations involved fewer individuals, with six, seven, 16, and 21 people on board those flights. The latest flight, carrying 44 deportees, marks a significant increase in the scale of such operations.

This deportation came amid reports that any asylum seekers arriving at Diego Garcia before the UK hands the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius will be relocated to Saint Helena, one of the most isolated places on the planet.

Fizza Qureshi, the CEO of Migrants’ Rights Network, expressed concern about the UK deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians, citing the swift and often secretive nature of the process. She shared how detainees lacked access to legal support, with one detainee stating, “The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives.”

A Home Office spokesperson defended the deportations, noting that the government is committed to ensuring those without the legal right to remain in the UK are returned to their countries. “We have returned over 3,600 people since the Labour government began, and we will continue to enforce immigration rules,” the spokesperson said.

The UK deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians raises concerns over the handling of deportees, with some detainees sharing their traumatic experiences prior to removal. One Nigerian man reportedly attempted suicide while being held in detention, highlighting the mental and emotional toll of the process.