Nigeria, UK sign MoU on return of migrants

British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Paul Awkright (left);
UK Immigration Minister, Robert Goodwill; Minister of
Interior, Abdurahman Dambazzau; SSA to the President on
Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Abike Dabiri Erewa; Acting
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Interior, Mohammed
Maccido; and CG Immigration, Mohammed Babadede, during
signing of an MoU between the UK and Nigeria on
immigration at the Ministry of Interior, Abuja
Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) have signed a
Memorandum of Understanding on immigration.
Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau,
disclosed this yesterday.
He said the development was a review of a bilateral
agreement signed in 2005 between both countries
on return of irregular immigrants, as well as
regular migrants who had overstayed their visas.
Speaking earlier, leader of the UK delegation and
Minister of State for Immigration, Robert Goodwill
MP, stressed the importance of preventing
immigration abuse by those who enter and leave
the UK. He particularly commended the Minister of
Interior for driving the process, which culminated
in signing of the MoU.

Dambazau said the review was informed by new
challenges that have emerged, and which could only
be met by reappraisal of the agreement.
He said such include difficulties in ascertaining “the
correct nationalities of some immigrants, as there
have been instances where their declared
nationalities are in variance with their real ones,
creating problems with their return processes.”