Keypoints:
- 43 migrants returned to Nigeria and Ghana by UK charter flight
- Deportations part of government’s plan to ‘restore order’
- Deportations of foreign criminals have risen by 16% since July
THE UK has deported 43 migrants to Nigeria and Ghana as part of efforts to clamp down on illegal immigration, the Home Office has confirmed.
The latest charter flight included 15 individuals whose asylum claims were refused, 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences, and seven others who returned voluntarily. The Home Office said the move forms part of a wider plan to ‘restore order’ to the immigration system.
Since July 2024, a total of 3,594 foreign criminals have been deported from the UK, marking a 16 percent increase compared to the same period the previous year.
Second flight to Nigeria and Ghana this year
This latest deportation flight is the second of its kind targeting Nigeria and Ghana under the current government, bringing the total number of migrants returned to these two countries to 87.
Border security minister Dame Angela Eagle praised the latest operation, saying: ‘This flight demonstrates how international partnerships deliver on working people’s priorities for swift returns and secure borders.
‘Through the plan for change, we’re going further in restoring order to a broken system, accelerating returns of those with no right to be here and closing expensive asylum hotels.’
In February, the Home Office released footage for the first time showing migrants being escorted onto deportation flights. Home Secretary Yvette Cooper has stressed the importance of ensuring that immigration rules are ‘respected and enforced’.
Between 5 July 2024 and 22 March 2025, a total of 24,103 people have been returned either voluntarily or forcibly, according to the Home Office — an 11 percent increase compared to provisional figures from the previous 12 months.
Ministers vow greater transparency
The Home Office has pledged to improve how it reports on foreign national offenders, with plans to release detailed data on nationalities and types of offences by the end of the year. Ministers argue this will help boost public confidence in the system.
Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick welcomed the increased transparency, saying: ‘The public deserved to know this long ago.’
However, human rights organisation Amnesty International warned that publishing nationality-specific data could risk fuelling racial tensions and spreading misinformation, describing the move as ‘reckless’.
Nigeria and Ghana key partners
Both Nigeria and Ghana were among the 40 countries that attended the government’s Organised Immigration Summit earlier this month, where ministers sought international cooperation to dismantle people smuggling gangs.
International development minister Baroness Chapman stressed the importance of global partnerships: ‘Working with other countries and partners around the world is critical to tackling irregular migration — by working internationally, we will meet this global challenge together.’
The Home Office thanked the governments of Nigeria and Ghana for facilitating the latest deportations, highlighting their ‘joint commitment to disrupt organised immigration crime and protect our borders’.
The latest deportations come as the government intensifies efforts to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws ahead of a busy summer for border crossings.
