44 Ghanaians and Nigerians have been deported from the United Kingdom.
The deportees were deported to their homes in one flight on Friday, 18th October, 2024.
The Guatdian.com reported that the deportation came after it was announced that any asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia before a treaty between the UK and Mauritius is finalized will be sent to Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the Atlantic Ocean.
According to the Home Office, the deportations of Nigerians and Ghanaians were part of a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns.
This is the largest deportation of individuals in the UK’s crackdown.
The report indicates that the number of asylum seekers arriving in Diego Garcia since 2021 in the hundreds, can not be compared to the tens of thousands crossing the channel in small boats from Northern France to the UK in recent years.
The 44 Ghaanians and Nigerians were not the only individuals affected in the move by the UK to intensify immigration returns. According to the Home Affairs, 3,600 people have been sent back to various nations since the Labour government came to power in July.
This includes about 200 deportations to Brazil and 46 people flown to Vietnam and Timor Leste. Regular flights continue to repatriate individuals to Albania, Lithuania, and Romania as well.
A Home Office spokesperson stated that “We have already launched a significant increase in immigration enforcement and returns to ensure compliance with the law, with over 3,600 removals carried out in the first two months of the new government.”
One Nigerian who shared his ordeal to the Guardian stated that he has been an asylum seeker in the UK for 15 years with no criminal record but he was spared by the Home Affairs.
Source: Elvisanokyenews.com
