In a record-breaking deportation flight, 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians were forcibly deported from the United Kingdom on Saturday, reflecting a significant escalation in the country’s immigration enforcement.
The UK Home Office confirmed the deportation as part of a broader crackdown on illegal immigration, which has seen over 3,600 individuals deported since the Labour government assumed office in July.
The Home Office spokesperson emphasised the government’s commitment to upholding immigration laws, stating, “We are dedicated to enforcing immigration rules and ensuring those without legal rights to remain in the UK are returned.”
This latest flight marked a sharp increase in the number of deportees, with only four similar flights to Nigeria and Ghana since 2020, and previous flights carrying as few as six and no more than 21 individuals. The recent flight, which saw the removal of 44 people, is more than double the number seen in previous instances.
The deportation came amid broader immigration issues involving asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia, a UK-administered island in the Indian Ocean. News emerged that asylum seekers arriving there before the finalization of a treaty between the UK and Mauritius will be relocated to Saint Helena, a British territory in the Atlantic. The treaty, expected to be signed next year, will not apply to around 60 Tamils stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021, who are currently engaged in legal battles regarding their detention.
While the number of asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia remained in the hundreds, it paled in comparison to the influx across the English Channel. On Friday alone, 647 individuals made the perilous journey from northern France in small boats, pushing the total number of arrivals for the year beyond 28,000.
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The deportees included one who told the newspaper of how he became traumatised after seeing a cellmate try to kill himself.
One expressed frustrations about the Home Office refusing his asylum claims after 15 years of residing in the UK without a criminal record. Another spoke of how his claim was denied despite being a victim of trafficking and showing the Home Office officials his childhood torture scars. Another man also recounted his futile efforts to get a solicitor to challenge his removal directions.
The Guardian quoted Fizza Qureshi, the chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, expressing shock at the news of the deportation of the Nigerians and Ghanians, saying that the asylum seekers have not committed any crime to warrant such a treatment.
Fizza Qureshi, condemned the deportations, citing the speed and secrecy of the process, as well as the lack of legal support. She quoted one of the detainees who stated, “The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help.”
This surge in deportations and the related legal and humanitarian concerns have continued to spark debates over the UK’s approach to immigration and asylum seekers.
