The Home Office spokesman told SaharaReporters in a written statement that “those with no right to be in the UK should return home. We expect people to leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departure.”
Online reports from the BBC and other media outlets stating that the United Kingdom deported 500 Nigerians have been proven false. According to these reports, 500 Nigerians arrived at Murtala Muhammed International Airport yesterday according to the BBC.
SaharaReporters spoke with the media unit of the UK Home Office, which oversees immigration and travel in the UK, which stated “we can confirm approximately 50 people were returned to Nigeria on a flight which arrived today.” The representative added that 500 deportees was “extremely high” and ultimately untrue.
The Home Office spokesman told SaharaReporters in a written statement that “those with no right to be in the UK should return home. We expect people to leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departure.”
According to the Punch newspaper the Spokesperson for the Nigerian Immigration Services (NIS), Ekpedeme King, stated that the 46 Nigerians were deported due to immigration related offenses. He also stated that they were deported on issues unrelated to the alleged plans by the UK government to deport 29,000 Nigerians.
The BBC, which originally carried the story, has since retracted their story which was displayed on their website.