
Nigeria, UK Sign New Deals on Deportations, Crime & Visa Cooperation!
Reported by Marian Opeyemi Fasesan | Sele Media Africa
At the 2025 Nigeria‑UK Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs Dialogue held in Abuja on October 8, both countries forged expanded agreements covering deportations, visa processes, criminal justice, and financial crime cooperation. [1]
Key Agreements & Commitments
Returns & Deportations
- Nigeria and the UK reaffirmed their collaboration on returning individuals who no longer have the legal right to remain in either country. [1]
- The 2022 Nigeria‑UK Migration Returns Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will continue to guide the process. [1]
Visa & Immigration Reforms
- The UK committed to streamlining visa processes, including steps toward introducing e‑visas and simplifying visa applications for business visitors. [1]
- Nigeria, in turn, will share insights from its own visa modernization efforts, including its e‑visa implementation. [1]
- The partners also agreed to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to tackle visa abuse and illegal immigration crime. [1]
Criminal Justice & Organised Crime
- A major thrust of the deal is joint action on serious and organised crime, including sharing threat assessments and building capacities for mutual intelligence operations. [1]
- The UK handed over its Brighter Futures Prevent Programme to Nigerian authorities, aiming to divert vulnerable youths from organised crime. [1]
- Extradition procedures and prisoner transfer mechanisms were also discussed, with plans to review and strengthen existing agreements. [1]
Financial Crime & Fraud
- A complementary UK–Nigeria fraud partnership was launched earlier in 2025, focusing on detecting, disrupting, and prosecuting cross‑border fraud schemes. [2]
- Under this partnership, the UK’s National Crime Agency and Nigeria’s Office of the National Security Adviser will coordinate operations and intelligence sharing. [2]
Bilateral Engagement & Oversight
- The dialogue established that future MJHA (Migration, Justice, and Home Affairs) sessions will be held annually, alternating between both nations. [1]
- A system of mutual accountability will track progress on all agreed commitments. [1]
Why It Matters
- These deals deepen ties in migration, security.
Citations:
- GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/publications/nigeria-uk-migration-justice-and-home-affairs-dialogue-2025/nigeria-united-kingdom-migration-justice-and-home-affairs-dialogue-2025-joint-communique?utm_source=chatgpt.com
- GOV.UK: www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-nigeria-partnership-to-detect-disrupt-and-deter-fraud?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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