A record number of Nigerians and Ghanaians, totaling 44 individuals, were deported from the UK on a single flight on Friday, the Home Office confirmed. This operation is part of a broader immigration enforcement effort under the new Labour government, which has intensified deportation activities. Since Labour took office in July 2024, approximately 3,600 people have been returned to various countries, including Brazil, Vietnam, Timor-Leste, and regular flights to Albania, Lithuania, and Romania. However, deportations to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively rare, with only four such flights recorded since 2020.
Friday’s flight is notable for the number of people removed, more than doubling the figures from previous deportation flights. Some of the deportees, held at Brook House immigration removal centre, shared harrowing experiences with The Guardian before their removal. One man attempted suicide, and others expressed frustration over their asylum claims being rejected, despite having no criminal records or, in some cases, claiming to be victims of trafficking.
Fizza Qureshi, Chief Executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, condemned the deportations, particularly highlighting the lack of legal support and the speed with which they were carried out. A Home Office spokesperson defended the actions, stating that the government was committed to enforcing immigration rules and removing individuals without the right to remain in the UK.
This mass deportation coincides with another ongoing migration issue involving asylum seekers arriving on Diego Garcia. The UK is negotiating with Mauritius to return the Chagos Islands, but any asylum seekers arriving before the treaty is finalized will be relocated to Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the Atlantic. Asylum seekers on Diego Garcia, including a group of 60 Tamils, have been stranded since 2021 and are pursuing legal claims over their detention on the island.
Meanwhile, the UK continues to face significant migration challenges, with over 600 people crossing the English Channel in small boats on Friday alone, pushing the year’s total beyond 28,000 crossings. French authorities also reported the tragic death of a baby during an attempted crossing near Wissant, France, the day before.
