InquiryAtNaija

UK to Begin Deportation of Failed Asylum Seekers, Cr+minals to Nigeria Under New Agreement Nigeria has signed a new agreement with the United Kingdom allowing British authorities to deport failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and cr+minal offenders to the country. The deal was signed by Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo and UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood during President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to the UK, the Home Office announced. Under the agreement, Nigeria will accept deportees using “UK letters,” alternative identification documents issued to migrants without valid passports. British officials said this removes a key administrative obstacle that previously delayed deportations. About 961 Nigerian failed asylum seekers who have exhausted their appeals, along with 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders awaiting removal, are expected to be affected by the arrangement. Both countries also agreed to strengthen cooperation against immigration fra¥d and cr+minal networks exploiting visa systems through joint operations and intelligence sharing. Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s participation reflects its commitment to fulfilling international obligations, while UK officials stated the partnership would help tackle illegal migration and ensure those who break immigration laws are removed.

In January 2024 when I wrote that “Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo will NEVER be able to revolutionise Nigeria’s messily-corrupt passport application system”, some accused me of prophesying doom. But it is now six months since I paid and applied for the renewal of my international passport. Maybe I will get it tomorrow. On Thursday July 31, 2025, I paid a sum of N109,700 via the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) payment portal, then proceeded to one of their Lagos offices, to complete further documentation and capture. Meanwhile, the officers first mocked us for kick-starting the registration online. I couldn’t complete capturing on that day due to a “network problem” that lasted several hours; I was forced to return to their office the following day for that. As I write this, “passport pending production” is the long-running feedback from NIS. The irony is that Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo continues to be lauded by the unsuspecting public as one of the best — even the best — ministers in Tinubu’s cabinet. It is already almost five months since Tunji-Ojo announced, in the latest of his many mouthwatering passport efficacy promises, that Nigerians would be able to receive their int’l passports one week after application. My opinion of him remains unchanged; he is simply the typical Nigerian politician who has a mastery of gallery play and public sentiment manipulation via the media for personal branding. Woe unto you if you rely on media reports to gauge the performance of public officers or, more importantly, the efficiency of public institutions!