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The United Kingdom government has announced plans to increase detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the country more efficiently.
In a statement on Sunday via its official X handle, the UK Home Office said the expansion is aimed at supporting enforcement efforts and speeding up the deportation of individuals without legal status.
“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.
We’re increasing detention capacity to ensure foreign offenders and illegal migrants can be securely held and removed from the UK faster.
— Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) March 22, 2026
The announcement comes shortly after Nigeria and the UK signed a bilateral agreement during President Bola Tinubu’s two-day state visit to Britain last week.
The deal, formalised by Nigeria’s Interior Minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and the UK Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, is designed to facilitate the quicker repatriation of failed asylum seekers, visa overstayers, and convicted Nigerian offenders.
Under the agreement, Nigeria will accept UK-issued letters, an alternative identification document issued to individuals without a valid passport and used to support the return of people with no right to remain in the UK.
According to UK government data, about 961 Nigerians have exhausted all asylum appeal rights, while another 1,110 Nigerian foreign national offenders are awaiting deportation.
The number of returns to Nigeria each year has almost doubled to 1,150. Since the 2024 election, almost 60,000 illegal immigrants and foreign criminals have been deported or returned from the UK.
The pact is expected to accelerate the return of over 2,000 Nigerians and others without legal status in the UK.
