Britain increases holding facilities to accelerate removals of foreigners

United Kingdom has announced plans to increase detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the country more quickly.

In a post via its official X handle yesterday, the UK Home Office said the expanded capacity was intended to support enforcement efforts and accelerate deportations of individuals without legal status in the country.

“We’re increasing detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the UK faster,” the post read.

The announcement came just days after Nigeria and the UK signed a bilateral agreement during President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit to Britain last week.

The pact, formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and UK Home Secretary ,Shabana Mahmood, facilitates the quicker repatriation of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted Nigerian offenders from the UK.

Under the deal, Nigeria will accept UK-issued letters as valid identification for deportees, removing a major bureaucratic hurdle.

According to UK data, approximately 961 Nigerians have exhausted all asylum appeal rights, and an additional 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders are currently awaiting deportation.
The agreement is projected to accelerate returns for these over 2,000 Nigerians and others without legal right to remain in Britain.