Largest Deportation of Asylum Seekers, Mainly Nigerians and Ghanaians from UK in Recent Years Sparks Debate on Immigration Crackdown
In a significant shift in immigration policy, the United Kingdom has deported 44 West African nationals—primarily Nigerians and Ghanaians—back to their home countries. According to a report from The UK Guardian, the deportations took place last Friday and represent the largest repatriation of individuals from these nations in recent years.
The UK Home Office attributed the operation to a new surge in immigration enforcement, marking a sharp increase in deportations. Since 2020, only four similar deportations to Nigeria and Ghana had been documented, highlighting the scale of this recent move.
Ahead of the deportations, The Guardian reported speaking with four Nigerians held at the Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick Airport. One man, who has lived in the UK as an asylum seeker for 15 years without a criminal record, said,
“I am very traumatized by the experience. The Home Office has refused my claim, and I don’t know what my future holds.”
A spokesperson for the Home Office 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 deportations underscore a new chapter in UK immigration policy, sparking concern and debate among human rights advocates and immigrant communities.
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