The Federal Government of Nigeria has moved to address public concern regarding its recent deportation deal with the United Kingdom (UK).
In a press statement issued on Friday, March 20, 2026, the Presidency emphasized that the deportation deal with the UK applies strictly to Nigerian citizens and does not involve the acceptance of third-party nationals or foreign deportees.
The clarification follows a state visit by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to London, where the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, signed a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs).
Tope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media, noted that the Nigeria-UK migration agreement is a bilateral framework designed to streamline the return of Nigerians who have no legal right to remain in the UK.
This includes visa overstayers, failed asylum seekers, and foreign national offenders.
“For clarity, it is important to state that the agreement only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK,” Ajayi said.
He stressed that Nigeria would not accept deportees who are not its nationals, adding that the UK government did not impose such a condition.
“Nigeria is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are our citizens,” he added.
Ajayi noted that the clarification was prompted by the circulation of misleading narratives suggesting that Nigeria had entered into a broader deportation arrangement with the UK.
He further assured that the agreement provides guarantees for the humane treatment of returnees, in line with Nigerian laws and international standards.
According to him, Nigerians returned under the framework would retain the opportunity to reapply for entry into the UK in the future, subject to meeting immigration requirements.
Corroborating the Presidency’s position, the Ministry of Interior said the agreement establishes a structured system for the “dignified return and reintegration of Nigerians who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK.”
Pan-Atlantic Kompass also reports that Nigeria and the UK signed a three-year agreement to increase jail terms for immigration-related offences and strengthen efforts to curb visa fraud and organised immigration crime.
The agreement builds on the existing UK-Nigeria Strategic Partnership signed in 2024 and is aimed at deepening cooperation on migration, justice, and home affairs.
According to the statement, both countries committed to tightening laws and enforcement mechanisms to curb immigration-related crimes.
Part of the agreement reads: “Ensuring that sentences for those convicted of immigration crime-related offences are increased under Nigerian law, proportionate to the harm these offences cause, with particular regard to false document production following legal review.
“A commitment to expanding the legal basis on which prosecutors can charge offenders alleged to have committed crimes related to immigration and border security following legal review.
“Tightened regulation of processes used by Nigerian authorities who issue travel documents and documents used to support visa applications, for example through verification and assurance technologies.
“Strengthening the commitment to the UK / Nigeria Organised Immigration Crime Unit through the signing of four Memorandums of Understanding (MoU) on operational engagement and data sharing to support collaboration to tackle organised immigration crime (OIC).
“Bolstering Nigerian border security through the provision of training and capability to relevant parastatals, which the UK commits to do in partnership with Nigeria.
“Working together to safeguard women and children who are migrating, focusing particularly on the protection of children and addressing challenges with surrogacy regulation; through discussions at the MJHA Dialogue.”
