The UK Home Office said it has begun a major immigration enforcement to reduce the surging number of illegal migrants in the country.
According to UK Guardian reports 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians were affected by the purge and had been flown back to their respective countries.
“We have already begun delivering a major surge in immigration enforcement and returns activity to remove people with no right to be in the UK and ensure the rules are respected and enforced, with over 3,600 returned in the first two months of the new government,” The Guardian cited the Home Office spokesperson as saying.
Since Keir Starmer emerged as the Prime Minister in July, the nation has witnessed a major overhaul in deportations, given that no fewer than 3,600 individuals living in the UK have been returned to their home countries, including Brazil, Lithuania, Albania and Romania.
However, data showed that deportation flights to the West African nations were rare, as only four flights carried 40 deportees from Nigeria and Ghana since 2020.
The number of deportees on Friday’s flight doubled the total number of deported in the last four years.
One of the Nigerians scheduled for deportation had unsuccessfully tried to die by suicide, a traumatising scene for his cellmate, who witnessed and narrated the incident to The Guardian.
A Nigerian deportee lamented that despite living in the UK for more than 15 years, the Home Office rejected his asylum application.
“I’ve been in the UK for 15 years as an asylum seeker. I have no criminal record, but the Home Office has refused my claim.”
Another Nigerian said the UK government dismissed his claims of being trafficked and proceeded with his deportation process.
Migrants Rights Network, a support group for migrants, said the deportations demonstrated “the cruelty” of the UK government and that deportees asserted that the government was “playing politics” with the lives of immigrants.
“We are extremely shocked at the cruelty of these deportations, especially with the speed, secrecy and the lack of access to legal support,” stated Fizza Qureshi, the chief executive of Migrants’ Rights Network.
“In the words of one detainee we spoke to before he was put on the flight: ‘The Home Office is playing politics with people’s lives. We have not done anything wrong other than cry for help,’” he added.
