The United Kingdom government has announced plans to expand its detention capacity as part of efforts to speed up the deportation of foreign offenders and illegal migrants.
In a statement shared on Sunday, March 22, 2026, via its official X handle, the UK Home Office said the move is aimed at strengthening enforcement operations and ensuring that individuals without legal status are held securely and removed more swiftly.
“We’re increasing detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the UK faster,” the statement read.
The development comes shortly after Nigeria and the UK signed a bilateral migration agreement during President Bola Tinubu’s recent state visit to Britain.
The agreement, formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is designed to facilitate the faster return of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted Nigerian offenders.
Under the arrangement, Nigeria will accept UK-issued letters as valid identification for deportees, effectively removing a key bureaucratic obstacle that previously delayed repatriation.
According to UK data, about 961 Nigerians have exhausted all asylum appeal rights, while an additional 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders are currently awaiting deportation. The agreement is expected to accelerate the return of over 2,000 Nigerians and other individuals without legal residency in the UK.
However, the policy has drawn criticism on social media, with some expressing concerns that it could lead to mass deportations of Nigerians.
Responding to the concerns, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, clarified that the agreement applies only to Nigerians without legal status in the UK.
He emphasised that Nigeria would not accept non-citizens under the deal and that the UK is not compelling the country to receive individuals who are not Nigerian nationals.
