The Presidency has addressed claims surrounding a recently signed migration agreement with the United Kingdom, stating that the deal applies only to Nigerians residing illegally in the UK.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, said the clarification followed reports suggesting that Nigeria had agreed to accept foreign deportees.
In a statement posted on X on Friday, Ajayi explained that the agreement concerns only Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.
He said: “For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, during the state visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on behalf of the Government of Nigeria, and the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.
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“The Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens. This clarification becomes necessary because of those who have already revved up their misinformation machinery.”
Ajayi added that the agreement ensures that Nigerian returnees will be treated with dignity, retain their rights under domestic law, and may re-enter the UK in the future if they meet immigration requirements.
The Ministry of Interior, in a separate statement, said the arrangement provides a framework for the return and reintegration of Nigerians without legal residency in the UK.
The ministry noted that the deal includes the use of secure travel documents, case-by-case identity checks, and safeguards for vulnerable individuals, including possible victims of trafficking.
It also outlined areas of cooperation such as information sharing, capacity building, training, and joint research on migration management and border security.
Nigeria signed the agreement with the UK on Thursday to facilitate the return of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted offenders as part of efforts to strengthen migration control and bilateral ties.
The agreement was signed by Tunji-Ojo and Mahmood during President Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, according to the UK Home Office.
Under the deal, the UK can return individuals who have no legal right to remain in the country, including failed asylum seekers and foreign national offenders.
It also introduces administrative steps to ease deportation, including allowing Nigeria to accept “UK letters”, alternative identification documents issued to individuals without valid passports, to speed up the process.