The government of the United Kingdom said it was ramping up efforts to expedite the return of irregular migrants to their home countries, including Nigeria.
The broader strategy seeks to address the growing asylum-seeking backlogs, Prime Minister Kier Starmer-led Labour Government announced a “major surge” in deportations targeting individuals without the legal right to remain in the country, an official said on Thursday, 29 August.
According to an official statement from the interior ministry, the government recently posted a contract worth £15 million ($19.7 million) over three years.
The contract seeks commercial partners to facilitate the “reintegration” of the migrants in their countries of origin. The announcement, first reported by the Financial Times, outlines the UK’s intention to identify “appropriate reintegration delivery providers” who will assist in returning migrants to 11 different countries including Albania, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Nigeria, Pakistan, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.
The role of the contractors will encompass a variety of support services, including the provision of food packs, assistance with tracing family members, and aid in accessing job markets, as detailed in the bid notice.
