UK–NIGERIA DEAL TO SPEED UP RETURNS – UK makes it quicker to return Nigerians with no legal right to remain
A new agreement between the UK and Nigeria states that Visa overstayers, foreign criminals and failed asylum seekers will be removed from British soil far more easily. This comes in the wake of the state visit of Nigeria’s President, Bola Tinubu.
UK letters, an alternative identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport and used to support the return of people with no right to remain in the UK, will be recognised by the Nigerian government for the first time.
The agreement, reached between the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, and Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, removes one of the major administrative hurdles to returning people, meaning the UK will no longer have to wait for emergency travel documents to be issued by Nigeria.
This follows a series of high‑profile cases involving fake job sponsorships, sham marriages and forged financial or employment records. A new standardised document‑checking system will verify the authenticity of applications. Nigeria will also review its laws to address immigration-related crime, ensuring the toughest possible sentences are imposed on offenders.
The new deal adds to the sweeping reforms the Home Secretary has made to the UK immigration system to secure the UK’s borders and remove incentives attracting illegal migrants to Britain.
