The United Kingdom has intensified its international partnerships on immigration enforcement, deporting 43 individuals to Nigeria and Ghana this week as part of its controversial “Plan for Change” initiative.
According to a statement posted on the UK Government’s website Friday, the deportees included 15 failed asylum seekers, 11 foreign nationals who had served criminal sentences, and seven individuals who returned voluntarily. British officials emphasized that the operation was carried out “in a dignified and respectful manner.”
The flight marks the second mass deportation to Nigeria and Ghana since the UK’s most recent general election, bringing the total number of returnees to these countries to 87.
UK authorities framed the deportation as a testament to growing cooperation with African partners. Angela Eagle, Minister for Border Security and Asylum, said the removal effort reflects how “global collaborations meet the essential needs of workers for prompt returns and secure borders.” She added, “With the Plan for Change, we are taking extra steps to rectify a flawed system, speeding up the removal of individuals without the right to remain and shutting down costly asylum hotels.”
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister for Irregular Migration at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), also hailed the operation, describing international cooperation as crucial. “International efforts are essential in addressing irregular migration,” she stated, praising the UK’s “robust partnership with Ghana and Nigeria.”
The stepped-up deportations follow a summit on organized immigration crime hosted by the UK, where delegates from over 40 countries — including Nigeria and Ghana — discussed measures to combat smuggling networks and tighten border security.
Under the current government, the UK has removed more than 24,000 individuals, an 11% increase from the previous year. Deportations of foreign national offenders have risen even more sharply, with a 16% spike leading to the removal of 3,594 people.
