The United Kingdom has deported 43 individuals to Ghana and Nigeria as part of its intensified efforts to tighten border controls under its “Plan for Change” immigration policy.
The deportees include 15 failed asylum seekers and 11 foreign nationals who had completed prison sentences in the UK.
Additionally, seven individuals reportedly returned voluntarily. The charter flight, which departed on Thursday, marks the second mass deportation to Ghana and Nigeria under the current UK government, bringing the total number of returnees to 87.
British officials described the operation as part of a growing collaboration with Ghana and Nigeria aimed at tackling irregular migration and enforcing immigration laws.
“This flight demonstrates how international partnerships deliver on working people’s priorities for swift returns and secure borders,” said Angela Eagle, the UK’s Minister for Border Security and Asylum.
“Through the Plan for Change, we are restoring order to a broken system, accelerating removals, and closing expensive asylum hotels.”
The UK Home Office revealed that over 24,000 individuals have been returned since the current government assumed office, representing an 11% rise compared to the same period last year. Deportations of foreign national offenders have also increased by 16%, with 3,594 criminals removed from the country.
Baroness Chapman of Darlington, Minister at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, emphasised that global cooperation remains key in addressing irregular migration challenges.
“Working internationally is critical to tackling irregular migration. I welcome our strong cooperation with Ghana and Nigeria to return those with no right to be in the UK, secure our borders, and deliver on the Plan for Change,” she said.
The UK government stressed that all deportations are conducted “in a dignified and respectful manner.”
The latest deportations follow the recent Organised Immigration Crime Summit hosted in the UK, where over 40 countries—including Ghana and Nigeria—committed to stepping up efforts against human smuggling and illegal migration.
The “Plan for Change” strategy forms part of broader efforts by the UK government to reduce asylum backlogs, strengthen border security, and repatriate individuals with no legal right to remain.
