The UK Home Office has confirmed the deportation of over 3,600 people since the Labour government assumed power in July, as part of a broader immigration crackdown.
This development coincides with news that asylum seekers on Diego Garcia, a UK-administered island, will be relocated to Saint Helena before the finalization of a treaty between the UK and Mauritius, which is expected next year.
The treaty, however, will not cover approximately 60 Tamils stranded on Diego Garcia since 2021, who are currently pursuing legal action regarding their detention
While the number of asylum seekers arriving at Diego Garcia has been in the hundreds, it pales in comparison to the tens of thousands who have crossed the English Channel in small boats from northern France in recent years. Just on Friday, 647 individuals made the perilous crossing in 10 boats, pushing the total for the year beyond 28,000.
Deportation flights to Nigeria and Ghana have been relatively rare, with only four recorded since 2020. Prior flights carried significantly fewer individuals—ranging from six to 21 people. The recent flight, which saw 44 deportees, more than doubled the number in previous removals.
The Guardian interviewed four Nigerian men held at Brook House immigration removal center near Gatwick before their deportation. One of them, who had been in the UK for 15 years seeking asylum, expressed his distress: “I have no criminal record, but the Home Office has refused my claim.” Another man revealed he had been a victim of trafficking and bore torture scars, yet his asylum claim had also been rejected.