Reps move against deportation of 29,000 Nigerians from UK

The House of Representatives has passed a resolution mandating two of its committees to intervene in the issue of the planned deportation of 29,000 Nigerians by authorities of the United Kingdom.

The committees on Diaspora and foreign affairs are to liaise with Nigeria’s foreign affairs ministry and the British High Commission in Nigeria on the issue.

The two committees were mandated to ascertain the rationale behind the planned mass deportation of Nigerians, allegedly living illegally in the UK.

The House equally urged the UK government to put the plan deportation on hold.

Recent media reports suggest that the UK government had come up with new policy that would see 29,000 Nigerians deported as a result of illegal resident permit.

Sponsor of a motion on the matter, Rep Rita Orji (PDP, Lagos) said there was apparent danger in the planned deportation and urged the House to intervene urgently.

She said although there are about two million registered Nigerians who are citizens of the UK, there was need to ascertain “if these 29,000 people to be deported are part of the 2 million registered Nigerians living in the UK.”

In his contribution, Minority leader Leo Ogor (PDP, Delta) called for caution on the matter as “it requires that we engage in a serious high level consultation and negotiation to get the full detail of what is going on.”