Asylum Agreement: UK Deportees Will Only Be Nigerians, FG Clarifies

Sunday Ehigiator

The Presidency yesterday clarified that the agreement reached between Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) to receive deportees with no legal status has to do with Nigerians only.

In a statement, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, explained that the agreement relates to Nigerians who do not possess legal status to reside and remain in the UK.

He stated, “Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens,” adding that the clarification was necessary to avoid misinformation.

He said, “The agreement guarantees that returnees who are citizens of Nigeria will be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements.”

Under the agreement, the Nigerian government will, for the first time, accept UK-issued letters, an alternative identification certificate issued to individuals without valid passports, to facilitate their return.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described the partnership as a milestone, saying: “This partnership is a testament to our shared determination to build a migration system that is safe, orderly, and mutually beneficial. Hopefully, this strengthened partnership will be a template for other bilateral understandings.”