The Federal Government has clarified that its recent deportation arrangement with the United Kingdom is strictly limited to Nigerian citizens and does not extend to foreign nationals.
The agreement, which allows the return of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted offenders, had sparked concerns about whether individuals from other countries could also be sent to Nigeria.
Addressing the issue in a statement on Friday, March 20, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, stated that only Nigerians without valid residency status in the UK fall within the scope of the deal.
“Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens,” Ajayi said.
He noted that the clarification was issued to dispel misleading interpretations of the agreement.
“The agreement guarantees that returnees who are citizens of Nigeria will be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements,” Ajayi added.
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Further confirmation came from Alao Babatunde, Special Adviser on Media to the Minister of Interior, who reiterated that the arrangement excludes non-Nigerians.
One main feature of the agreement is Nigeria’s acceptance of UK-issued identification letters for deportees without passports.
These documents will now serve as valid proof of identity, replacing the previously used emergency travel certificates.
The Ministry of Interior also stated that each deportation case would undergo proper identity checks before execution.
According to the ministry, the framework also strengthens collaboration between both countries in areas such as intelligence sharing, training, and migration management.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo stressed the importance of maintaining fairness in the partnership, saying, “we must remember: ‘He who comes to equity must come with clean hands’.”