Nigeria and the United Kingdom have signed a new agreement that will make it easier to return Nigerians with no legal right to remain in Britain, including failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers and convicted criminals.
The deal was reached during the visit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the UK, with Britain’s Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo leading the agreement.
Under the new arrangement, Nigeria will for the first time recognise “UK letters” – alternative identification documents issued to individuals without valid passports – as sufficient for deportation processing. This removes a longstanding administrative bottleneck that previously required emergency travel documents from Nigerian authorities before deportations could proceed.
UK officials say the agreement will significantly speed up the removal of individuals who breach immigration laws or overstay their visas.
Minister for Border Security and Asylum, Alex Norris, said the deal forms part of broader efforts to tighten border controls and deter illegal migration.
“Anyone who abuses our system or breaks our laws will be stopped and removed. This agreement ensures those with no right to remain are returned swiftly,” he said.
Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Tunji-Ojo, described the pact as a reflection of Nigeria’s commitment to responsible migration management and strengthening bilateral relations with the UK.
“This relationship means a lot to Nigeria, and we are committed to sustaining it. We must ensure fairness, transparency and responsibility in how we manage migration,” he said.
The agreement also includes provisions for joint operations and intelligence-sharing between both countries to combat immigration-related crimes such as visa fraud, sham marriages and document forgery.
As part of the collaboration, both nations will introduce a standardised document verification system to curb fraudulent applications, while Nigeria is expected to review its laws to impose stricter penalties on immigration offenders.
In addition, the partnership will target organised crime networks involved in online fraud, including romance scams, investment fraud and cryptocurrency schemes. A new “fusion cell” model, bringing together government agencies, financial institutions, technology firms and telecom operators , will be deployed to enhance intelligence-sharing and rapid response to such threats.
The agreement also reaffirms the UK’s commitment to protecting vulnerable groups, particularly Nigerian women and children at risk of exploitation, while improving business visa processes to encourage investment and economic cooperation.
Recent figures show that annual returns of Nigerians from the UK have nearly doubled to about 1,150, while overall deportations of illegal migrants and foreign criminals from Britain have reached nearly 60,000 since 2024.
Officials say the latest deal builds on ongoing cooperation between UK agencies, including the National Crime Agency, and Nigerian authorities, which has already led to arrests and disruption of transnational fraud networks.
Both countries expressed optimism that the agreement would serve as a model for future migration partnerships, while balancing enforcement with economic and diplomatic ties.