FG clarifies UK asylum agreement, says deportees will be Nigerians only

The presidency has moved to calm public concern over its new migration arrangement with the United Kingdom, making clear that only Nigerian citizens will be accepted under the deal.

The clarification follows uncertainty over whether foreign nationals could be included among deportees sent back from the UK. Officials now say the agreement is strictly limited to Nigerians who no longer have legal grounds to remain.

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Temitope Ajayi, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, said the government would not accept non Nigerians under any circumstances. “The Nigerian government is not taking back non Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens,” he said in a statement on Friday.

The agreement covers Nigerians classified as failed asylum seekers, convicted offenders and visa overstayers. Ajayi added that the arrangement also guarantees that returnees will be treated with dignity and retain their rights under Nigerian law. He noted that those affected may still be eligible to re-enter the UK in the future if they meet immigration requirements.

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Alao Babatunde, media adviser to Olubunmi Tunji Ojo, interior minister, confirmed the scope of the deal in remarks to TheCable, stressing that it excludes all foreign nationals.

Under the new framework, Nigeria will for the first time accept UK issued letters as a form of identification for deportees who do not have valid passports. The documents serve as an alternative means of verifying identity and are expected to speed up the return process.

Previously, authorities relied on emergency travel certificates to process undocumented Nigerians abroad.

The interior ministry said deportations would still be handled on a case by case basis, with identity checks carried out before any return is approved. It added that the agreement also outlines broader areas of cooperation between both countries, including information sharing, training and joint research on migration management and border security.

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Ojo said Nigeria’s cooperation with the UK would be guided by fairness and mutual respect. “For this relationship to work, it must be built on transparency and trust,” he said, calling for a balanced approach from both sides