Shock as UK deports 44 Nigerians, Ghanaians in single flight, gives reason

• The British government has deported a record 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians on a single flight on Friday, October 18
• Confirming the deportation, the UK Home Office said it is part of a "major surge" in immigration enforcement and returns
• Four of the affected Nigerians spoke about their situations as human rights advocates expressed concerns over the treatment of asylum seekers

United Kingdom (UK) - A record number of Nigerians and Ghanaians were deported from the UK on a single flight, with 44 individuals forcibly removed on Friday, October 18, according to the Home Office.

Legit.ng gathers that the development marks a significant increase from previous deportation flights.

Activists protest against the UK government's recently passed Safety of Rwanda bill and plans for deportation flights. Photo credit: Mark Kerrison/In Pictures
Source: Getty Images

Why did UK deport Nigerians and Ghanaians?

A report by The Guardian UK stated that the Home Office described the deportation as part of a "major surge" in immigration enforcement and returns.

According to the report, over 3,600 people have been returned to various countries since the Labour Party came into power in July 2024, including approximately 200 to Brazil and 46 to Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana rare

Legit.ng gathers that deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively rare, with only four recorded since 2020.

The previous flights had significantly fewer passengers, with six, seven, 16, and 21, respectively.

Four affected Nigerians share experience

Four Nigerian men, among those affected, spoke to The Guardian while they were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick before their deportation.

One of the men reportedly tried to kill himself before the deportation, with a colleague who witnessed the incident saying he was “very traumatised” by what he had seen.

“I’ve been in the UK for 15 years as an asylum seeker. I have no criminal record but the Home Office has refused my claim," another man was quoted as saying.“I told the Home Office I was a victim of trafficking. They rejected my claim," the third man said.

He said he had been groomed into exploitation as a child and had torture scars on his body.

The fourth man told the newspaper that he had desperately searched for a lawyer to challenge his deportation but had been unable to find anyone to represent him.

Concerns over treatment of asylum seekers

Human rights advocates have expressed concerns over the treatment of asylum seekers.

Fizza Qureshi, CEO of Migrants' Rights Network, condemned the deportations.

‘The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help," he said.

Physically-challenged man faces deportation

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported the story of a disabled Nigerian man, Anthony Olubunmi George, who faced deportation to Nigeria despite living in the UK for 38 years.

This was because the UK Home Office had repeatedly denied his application for leave to remain in the country.

George arrived in the UK from Nigeria at the age of 24. He has remained in the UK since then and has no criminal record.

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Source: Legit.ng