UK deports 35 Nigerians as aggressive campaign against migrants gathers momentum

BRITISH immigration authorities deported 35 Nigerians yesterday as part of the government's ongoing aggressive campaign to reduce the number of migrants in the country.

Over recent years, the UK has mounted a fierce drive to deport migrants without residency status and hundreds of Nigerians have been on the receiving end of this campaign. In the wake of the recent decision to leave the European Union, the UK has become more xenophobic and intolerant of migrants.

Yesterday, 35 Nigerians arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International airport in Lagos comprising 30 males and five females at about 5.50am aboard a chartered Titanic Airways flight. Deputy Superintendant of Police Joseph Alabi, a spokesman for the Lagos Airport Police Command, said that upon arrival, they were profiled by immigration authorities and each given a stipend to facilitate their return to their respective states.

According to Mr Alabi, the deportees were received by officers of the Nigeria Immigration Service, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the police and officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria. He added that the development brings the number of Nigerians deported from the UK to 99 over the last three months.

On February 1, 41 Nigerians were deported for various immigration offences while on March 31, another 23 people were deported for the same reason. Several hundreds of Nigerians have also been deported, rescued or repatriated from various other countries including those from across the West African region in recent times.