The United Kingdom has deported 43 individuals to Ghana and Nigeria as part of its intensified efforts to strengthen border security under its “Plan for Change” immigration policy.
The group included 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences in the UK.
Seven of the individuals reportedly returned voluntarily.
According to gov.uk, the charter flight, which took off on Thursday, marks the second deportation operation to Ghana and Nigeria since the current government assumed office, bringing the total number of returnees to the two countries to 87.
UK officials say the operation reflects a growing partnership between the British government and its counterparts in Accra and Abuja to curb irregular migration and enforce immigration laws.
The UK’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Angela Eagle, said, “This flight demonstrates how international partnerships deliver on working people’s priorities for swift returns and secure borders.
“Through the Plan for Change, we’re going further in restoring order to a broken system, accelerating returns of those with no right to be here, and closing expensive asylum hotels. I thank the governments of Ghana and Nigeria for facilitating this operation, which reflects our joint commitment to disrupt organised immigration crime and protect our borders.”
According to the Home Office, more than 24,000 people have been returned since the current administration took office, representing an 11% increase over the same period last year.
Deportations of foreign national offenders have also increased by 16%, with 3,594 criminals removed.
The Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Baroness Chapman of Darlington, said international cooperation remains key to tackling irregular migration.
Source: www.ghanaweb.com
