Nigeria has reached a new agreement with the United Kingdom that will allow British authorities to return thousands of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers and convicted offenders to Nigeria.
The arrangement was signed during President Bola Tinubu’s official visit to the UK and was formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, alongside UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood, according to a statement issued by the UK Home Office on Thursday.
Tinubu’s visit lasted two days, spanning Wednesday and Thursday.
Under the deal, the UK will be able to repatriate individuals who have exhausted asylum processes, broken immigration rules or overstayed their visas.
The framework is said to give British authorities wider operational flexibility in carrying out removals.
A notable aspect of the agreement is Nigeria’s decision to accept UK-issued letters as valid identification for deportees who do not possess passports.
These documents will now serve as alternative proof of identity, helping to speed up the removal process for undocumented individuals.
Before now, Nigeria typically depended on emergency travel certificates as supporting documents to verify the identity of returnees without valid travel papers.
The UK Home Office said this new recognition of UK-issued documentation removes a long-standing administrative obstacle that had often slowed deportation procedures.
Key details such as when the agreement will take effect and how long it will remain in force have not yet been made public. It is also unclear whether any financial component is attached to the deal.
Britain previously entered a similar migration arrangement with Rwanda in 2022, which reportedly involved at least £370 million for the relocation of asylum seekers, but the plan was later abandoned after Prime Minister Keir Starmer described it as “dead”.
It has also not been clarified whether the current agreement applies strictly to Nigerian nationals or could extend to other nationalities.
Official figures suggest there are about 961 Nigerian nationals in the UK whose asylum claims have been rejected after exhausting all appeals.
In addition, the Home Office is processing the deportation of around 1,110 Nigerian nationals who have been convicted of criminal offences.
With the new arrangement now in place, both categories are expected to be removed more quickly.
Speaking on the agreement, Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s signatory to the deal shows that “we are totally committed to being a responsible country in fulfilling our core obligations”.
He added, “And for us to sustain that relationship, we must remember: ‘He who comes to equity must come with clean hands.’ So, we need to be as open and as fair as possible,” the minister said.
UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, described Nigeria as an important partner in tackling irregular migration, noting its position as the UK’s largest visa market in Africa.
“We owe everyone across the system fairness,” Norris said, adding that “anyone who abuses our systems, breaks our laws or tries to cheat their way into Britain will be stopped and removed”.
The Home Office also said both countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation through joint enforcement operations and improved intelligence sharing to disrupt criminal networks involved in migration-related offences.
The agreement follows several cases in the UK involving fake job sponsorships, sham marriages, and forged financial or employment documents used to obtain visas.
Nigeria is also expected to review parts of its immigration laws, with plans to introduce tougher penalties for immigration-related offences.
Furthermore, a joint initiative will target cybercriminals involved in romance scams, investment fraud, and cryptocurrency-related schemes, with the aim of strengthening protection for UK residents.
The initiative, described as a “fusion cell” model, will bring together government agencies, financial institutions, tech companies, and telecom operators to share intelligence quickly and respond more effectively to evolving criminal tactics.
