More than 40 Nigerians repatriated from U.K., Spain – Official

The Nigerians were deported for various reasons. 

More than 40 Nigerians have again been repatriated from the U.K. and Spain, a senior embassy official said on Thursday in London.

Lawal Isah, the Head of Immigration at the Nigerian High Commission in London, disclosed this in an interview with the Western Europe Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said the deportees, who are due back in Nigeria on Friday, consist of 40 persons from the U.K., with an uncertain number from Spain.

Mr. Isah said that among those repatriated were people who had served jail terms in various prisons across the U.K., and others arrested for illegal stay.

He said the repatriation was a monthly exercise through a chartered return flight jointly organised by the High Commission and the U.K. Government.

It would be recalled that 40 people were also deported in December, 2012.

Reacting to the development, Abba Moro, the Minister of Interior, said the Immigration service in Nigeria had been stopping those without proper documentation from travelling out of the country.

“In 2012, 1,687 Nigerians without proper documentation were prevented from traveling out of the country.

“However, some succeeded in escaping,” Mr. Moro, currently on a facility monitoring visit in London, said.

He said that Nigeria had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Austria, Slovakia and Germany to facilitate the return of those without legal rights to stay in those countries.

“The essence of the MOU is to add some level of dignity to the way returnees are sent home so that they are not forced into detention.

“These countries have further earmarked some funds for resettlement of repatriated Nigerians.

“On our own part, we have proposal to complement these funds, so that returnees can be properly integrated back to society”, Mr. Moro said.

A similar migration partnership is in place between Nigeria and Switzerland.

 

NAN