UK Migration Deal Protects Nigerians, Guarantees Dignified Returns — Presidency

The Presidency has said the migration partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom protects Nigerians’ interests and guarantees dignified treatment for returnees, dismissing what it described as widespread misinformation surrounding the agreement.

In a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, on Saturday the Federal Government said the Memorandum of Understanding on immigration cooperation, signed on the sidelines of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s state visit to the United Kingdom, had been misrepresented.

The Presidency stated that the MoU, signed by Nigeria’s Minister of Interior and the United Kingdom’s Secretary of State for the Home Department, was designed to strengthen bilateral cooperation and facilitate safe, regulated migration between both countries, while also addressing irregular migration in line with their respective laws and international obligations.

It stressed that contrary to circulating claims, the agreement does not require Nigeria to accept foreign nationals.

“Nowhere in the 12-page memorandum is Nigeria required to accept foreign nationals other than Nigerians,” the statement said.

It added that any individual to be repatriated must undergo multiple levels of identification and verification, and where errors occur, such persons would be returned to the requesting country at that country’s cost.

According to the Presidency, the agreement provides that both countries will work together to ensure the dignified return of their nationals who do not, or no longer, have the legal right to remain in the territory of the other.

It emphasised that a key condition in the MoU is that returnees must be bona fide nationals and must be treated with dignity and respect, with full regard for their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

The Presidency also noted that law enforcement authorities in both countries are required to take necessary actions to protect the interests and well-being of citizens of either party and to mitigate potential conflict triggers arising from migration issues.

On the process of return, the statement referenced Article 9 of the agreement, which sets out detailed conditions governing repatriation.

It explained that identification checks would be conducted by officers of the requested party in the territory of the requesting party before departure, and again upon arrival by the competent authorities of the receiving country.

The requesting country, it said, is required to coordinate all returns and provide flight details and particulars of each returnee at least five working days before the scheduled return.

The Presidency added that returns may be carried out using scheduled commercial flights or aircraft chartered specifically for the purpose.

It further explained that repatriation would typically be conducted using an original valid passport. However, where a returnee can be biometrically matched to a visa application made in the requested country, an expedited process would apply using a UK Letter.

Similarly, where biometric matching is not possible but there is strong supporting evidence of nationality—such as a copy of a passport, passport number, or national identity card—the expedited process using a UK Letter would still be permissible.

The Presidency noted that where Nigerian authorities are not satisfied with a returnee’s identity within five working days of receiving the UK Letter, they must provide detailed reasons, and in such cases, the removal would be deferred.

It added that if subsequent evidence shows that a returned individual is not a national of the requested country, the requesting country is obligated to take the person back within stipulated timelines.

“The request for the return of such a person must be made within ten working days following the return exercise and carried out within fourteen working days after acceptance of the request,” the statement said.

The Presidency also clarified that Nigeria has not ceded its sovereignty over documentation processes under the agreement.

Citing Article 9(3), it stated that the Nigeria Immigration Service retains sole responsibility for issuing and handling all Nigerian travel documents, including the digital acknowledgement of UK Letters, in accordance with Nigerian laws.

“This remains the sole right and responsibility of Nigerian authorities, including the handling of travel documents and any onward transmission required to enable entry,” it added.

The statement further highlighted provisions in the MoU that guarantee returnees the right to travel with their legally acquired personal belongings.

It noted that, unlike past practices, migrants would no longer be forced to return without their property.

According to Article 12 of the agreement, returnees must be given sufficient time and opportunity to make adequate arrangements for the transfer or disposal of their property in the requesting country, under the supervision of the mission of the receiving country.

The Presidency also pointed to provisions allowing individuals facing deportation to make claims under domestic or international human rights laws.

Such claims, it said, may arise where individuals have been lawfully resident in the requesting country for most of their lives and are socially and culturally integrated, or where they may face significant obstacles to reintegration in their country of origin.

On reintegration support, the Presidency cited Article 11, which provides for structured assistance to returnees upon arrival.

It explained that short-term support may include airport reception, temporary accommodation, onward transportation, care and provision packs, and small cash assistance.

Medium-term support, it said, may involve assistance in reconnecting with family, obtaining necessary documentation, access to local services, and mental health and counselling support where required.

Long-term assistance, according to the statement, includes access to a Returnee Education and Entrepreneurship Fund, as well as support for job placement, business start-ups, vocational training, further education, and opportunities for legal migration.

It added that both countries are required to notify each other of any changes in their domestic laws or policies affecting reintegration support.

The Presidency noted that the MoU is for an initial period of five years and is renewable for another five-year term upon mutual agreement, adding that similar agreements had previously been signed in 2012, 2017, and 2022.

It urged media organisations to seek clarification on complex international agreements before publication to avoid misleading the public.

The Federal Government reiterated that the migration partnership is structured to protect the rights of citizens of both countries while promoting orderly, lawful, and humane migration.