Nigeria has entered a new agreement with the United Kingdom to make it easier to return failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted criminals, aiming to improve migration control and strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The deal was signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, the UK Home Office confirmed on Thursday.
Under the arrangement, the UK can send back thousands of people who have no legal right to stay, including failed asylum seekers and foreign offenders.
It also covers visa overstayers and introduces new administrative steps to make deportation faster and smoother.
For the first time, Nigeria will accept “UK letters” — special ID documents for people without valid passports — instead of standard travel documents. The Home Office said this removes a major bureaucratic hurdle that used to delay returns.
The start date, duration, and financial details of the deal were not made public. It is also unclear if it will apply only to Nigerians or include other nationalities.
UK data shows that about 961 Nigerians have used up all their asylum appeal rights, while another 1,110 Nigerian offenders are waiting for deportation. This means the agreement could speed up the process of returning people to Nigeria.
Tunji-Ojo said the deal shows Nigeria’s commitment to international responsibilities and proper migration management.
“We are totally committed to being a responsible country in fulfilling our core obligations. To sustain that relationship, we must be as open and as fair as possible,” he said.
UK Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, called Nigeria a key partner in fighting illegal migration and noted it is the UK’s largest visa market in Africa.
“We owe everyone across the system fairness,” Norris said. “Anyone who abuses our system, breaks our laws or attempts to circumvent immigration rules will be removed.”
The agreement also plans for joint operations and intelligence sharing to fight organised immigration crime.
Both countries will work together to break criminal networks involved in visa fraud, such as fake job offers, sham marriages, and forged financial papers, the Home Office said.
Nigeria is also expected to review its laws to increase penalties for immigration offences.
The partnership will target online fraud too, including romance scams, investment scams, and cryptocurrency schemes.
A new “fusion cell” model will bring together public agencies, banks, tech firms, and telecom companies for quick intelligence sharing and coordinated enforcement.
