By : Lloyd Mahachi

A record number of Nigerians and Ghanaians were deported from the UK on a single flight, with 44 individuals forcibly removed on Friday, confirmed by the Home Office. This historic deportation comes amidst news of a plan to redirect asylum seekers arriving on the Chagos Islands to Saint Helena, a remote British territory in the Atlantic Ocean.

The deportation flight surpassed previous ones to Nigeria and Ghana, which had significantly fewer passengers, with six, seven, 16, and 21 individuals, respectively. Since the Labour government took office in July, approximately 3,600 people have been returned to various countries, including about 200 to Brazil and 46 on a flight to Vietnam and Timor-Leste.

Critics argue that the deportations demonstrate the UK government’s harsh stance on immigration. Fizza Qureshi, CEO of the Migrants’ Rights Network, expressed shock at the “cruelty of these deportations” and the lack of access to legal support. However, a Home Office spokesperson countered that the deportations aim to enforce immigration rules and remove individuals with no right to be in the UK.

Meanwhile, the asylum seeker crisis continues to escalate, with over 600 people crossing the English Channel in small boats on Friday, bringing the yearly total above 28,000. The UK government has introduced policies to tackle small boat arrivals, including cooperation with France and Albania. However, critics argue that these measures do not address the root causes of asylum seekers’ desperation.

In related developments, about 60 Tamils stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021 await judgment on their unlawful detention claim and are not included in the Saint Helena deal. The Chagos Islands deal is expected to be signed next year, amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the UK’s immigration policies and treatment of asylum seekers.

Editor : Josephine Mahachi