In a significant development, the Home Office confirmed that a record number of Nigerians and Ghanaians were forcibly deported on a single flight, with 44 individuals removed on Friday. This marks the highest number of deportations from the UK to these countries on one flight since deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana have been recorded.
Deportation flights to these two countries have been relatively rare, with just four such flights since 2020. According to freedom of information data, these previous flights carried far fewer people, with six, seven, 16, and 21 individuals deported, respectively. Friday’s deportation more than doubled those previous numbers, part of what the Home Office described as a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and deportation activity.
This surge comes after the Labour government took power in July, initiating a sharp increase in deportation numbers. In just two months, the government has deported 3,600 people to various countries, including 200 to Brazil and 46 to Vietnam and Timor-Leste. Regular deportation flights are also being conducted to countries like Albania, Lithuania, and Romania.
The deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians has stirred strong reactions. The Guardian spoke to four Nigerian detainees who were held at Brook House immigration removal centre near Gatwick before their deportation. One man, devastated by his impending deportation, attempted suicide in his cell. His cellmate, who witnessed the traumatic event, expressed shock and despair.
Another man facing deportation said: “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.” A third detainee revealed that he had been groomed into exploitation as a child and bore torture scars on his body. Despite informing the Home Office of his status as a trafficking victim, his claim was rejected.
A fourth individual, desperate to stay in the UK, described his struggle to find legal representation in time to challenge his removal. “I searched everywhere for a solicitor, but I couldn’t find anyone to help me,” he said.
Fizza Qureshi, the chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network, condemned the deportations, expressing concern about the lack of legal support for those being deported. “We are extremely shocked at the cruelty of these deportations, especially with the speed, secrecy, and the lack of access to legal support. In the words of one detainee we spoke to before he was put on the flight: ‘The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help.’”
The deportations are part of a broader immigration crackdown that the Home Office says is designed to enforce immigration rules and remove individuals who have no legal right to remain in the UK. A Home Office spokesperson emphasized the government’s commitment to this approach, stating, “We have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are respected and enforced, with over 3,600 returned in the first two months of the new government.”
As the UK steps up its deportation efforts, new developments have emerged regarding the Chagos Islands. Asylum seekers who arrive on Diego Garcia before the finalization of a treaty between the UK and Mauritius will be sent to Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the Atlantic Ocean. The Chagos Islands treaty, expected to be signed next year, will see the UK hand control of the islands back to Mauritius. However, around 60 Tamil asylum seekers stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021, who are involved in a legal challenge over their detention, will not be included in the arrangement to send people to Saint Helena.
The UK’s treatment of asylum seekers has been a contentious issue in recent years, particularly with the large numbers of people crossing the English Channel in small boats from northern France. While the numbers of asylum seekers arriving on Diego Garcia are in the hundreds, the number of those crossing the Channel has reached tens of thousands. On Friday alone, more than 600 people crossed the Channel in small boats, according to Home Office figures. A total of 647 people made the journey across the Channel in 10 boats, bringing the total number of crossings for the year to over 28,000.
Friday’s Channel crossings came just one day after French authorities announced the tragic death of a baby off the coast of Wissant in the Pas-de-Calais region. This incident underscores the dangers and desperation faced by many migrants attempting to reach the UK by sea.
As the UK government continues its firm stance on immigration and deportations, the debate over the treatment of asylum seekers and the fairness of the immigration system is likely to intensify. The recent deportation of Nigerians and Ghanaians, the ongoing legal challenges in Diego Garcia, and the increasing number of people risking their lives to cross the Channel are all issues that will demand attention in the coming months.
