The United Kingdom government has announced that it is intensifying efforts to expedite the return of irregular migrants to their home countries, including Nigeria.
As part of a broader strategy to tackle the increasing backlog of asylum seekers, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour Government unveiled a “major surge” in deportations aimed at individuals without the legal right to stay in the country, according to an official statement on Thursday.
The Home Office recently awarded a £15 million ($19.7 million) contract over three years to seek commercial partners for facilitating the “reintegration” of migrants in their home countries.
The announcement, first reported by the Financial Times, details the UK’s plan to identify “appropriate reintegration delivery providers” to assist in returning migrants to 11 countries, including Albania, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
Contractors will provide various support services, such as food packs, assistance in tracing family members, and help in accessing job markets, as outlined in the bid notice.
UK Interior Minister Yvette Cooper emphasized the government’s commitment to achieving the highest deportation rates in five years, stating that the goal is to deport over 14,000 failed asylum seekers by the end of the year. “The government plans to deliver a major surge in immigration enforcement and return activities to remove individuals with no right to be in the UK and ensure that the rules are respected and enforced,” a ministry spokesperson reiterated.
The Prime Minister has also pledged to dismantle the networks of smugglers that facilitate the arrival of irregular migrants in Britain. “Smash the gangs,” Starmer urged, referencing the smugglers responsible for transporting migrants across the English Channel in makeshift boats.
So far this year, over 20,000 migrants have attempted the perilous crossing from France to the UK in unseaworthy vessels, representing a slight increase from the same period last year. However, this number is lower compared to 2022.
Despite these measures, refugee charities are urging the UK government to establish more safe and legal routes for asylum seekers, arguing that such options would prevent desperate individuals from undertaking dangerous journeys.
Official statistics released last week revealed that nearly 119,000 people were awaiting decisions on their asylum applications as of June 2024, underscoring the significant challenges the UK faces in addressing its immigration and asylum policies.
