The Presidency clarified on Friday that the agreement solely applies to Nigerian residents living unlawfully in the UK, rejecting allegations that Nigeria had agreed to accept foreign deportees under a new migration pact with the UK.
Temitope Ajayi, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, provided the correction in response to what he called pervasive false information.
Ajayi clarified in a message posted on his 𝕏 Twitter that the deal, which was inked during President Bola Tinubu’s recent official visit to the UK, has a narrow scope.
He stated, “It is crucial to clarify that the agreement only applies to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.”
He emphasized that Nigeria is not required to receive non-citizen deportees.
Non-Nigerians are not being reclaimed by Nigeria. Ajayi continued, “The UK government is not forcing Nigeria to take people who are not our citizens.”
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, the Minister of Interior for Nigeria, and Shabana Mahmood, the UK Home Secretary for the British government, signed the agreement.
The agreement, according to the Presidency, is centered on the repatriation of Nigerians who do not have legal residency in the United Kingdom.
Additionally, Ajayi guaranteed that the agreement contains clauses pertaining to the humane treatment of returns in accordance with both international and Nigerian law.
Subject to fulfilling immigration conditions, he continued, Nigerians who were deported under the framework would still have the chance to reapply for entry into the UK.
The Ministry of Interior stated that the agreement creates a structured framework for the “dignified return and reintegration of Nigerians who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK,” supporting the Presidency’s stance.
Key components of the agreement were described by the ministry, including safe travel paperwork, comprehensive identification verification, and unique safeguards for vulnerable people, especially victims of human trafficking.
Additionally, it outlined plans for increased collaboration between Nigeria and the UK in areas like training, capacity building, information exchange, and collaborative research on border security and migration.
According to the Federal Government, the agreement protects Nigeria’s sovereignty while taking a legal and fair approach to migration-related concerns.
According to Ajayi, “misleading narratives” that suggested a more comprehensive deportation plan made the clarification essential, but she insisted that these statements were false.
