The United Kingdom has deported 44 Nigerian and Ghanaian asylum seekers, marking the highest number ever in a single flight.
According to the UK Guardian, the deportation occurred 48 hours after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer signed a deal to deport migrants arriving in small boats to St. Helena, a British island territory in the Atlantic Ocean.
The UK Home Office confirmed that the deportations were part of a “major surge” in immigration enforcement and returns.
Since Starmer’s leadership began in July, 3,600 people have been deported to various countries, including around 200 to Brazil and 46 to Vietnam and Timor-Leste.
Regular deportation flights have also been made to Albania, Lithuania, and Romania.
Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana are relatively uncommon, with only four recorded since 2020. In June, 13 Nigerians were deported to Lagos from the UK.
One of the recent deportees claimed to have been a victim of trafficking, but his claim was rejected by the Home Office.
Another deportee, an asylum seeker in the UK for 15 years with no criminal record, also had his claim denied.
In August, Nigeria reportedly signed a deportation agreement with the UK, which came into effect after a previous asylum deal with Rwanda fell through.
