Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, has said the migration deal between Nigeria and the United Kingdom (UK) doesn’t involve non-citizens.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on behalf of the government of Nigeria during President Bola Tinubu’s State Visit to the UK. Home Secretary, Rt Hon Shabana Mahmood, signed the agreement on behalf of the UK government.

According to Ajayi, the agreement only relates to Nigerians who do not have legal status to live and remain in the UK.

“Nigerian government is not taking back non-Nigerians. The UK government is not compelling Nigeria to take those who are not our citizens. This clarification becomes necessary because of those who have already revved up their misinformation machinery,” he said in a statement on Friday.

This was after misinformation was shared by journalist Rufai Oseni on X: “So we are now taking asylum seekers from the UK. I thought we rejected those from America. Nigeria has entered into a fresh agreement with the United Kingdom that will enable British authorities to repatriate thousands of failed asylum seekers and convicted offenders to the West African nation.”

Tinubu’s aide further stated that the agreement guarantees that returnees who are citizens of Nigeria will be treated with dignity, rights retention under domestic law, and may re-enter in the future if they meet the applicable immigration requirements.

Minister Tunji-Ojo also provided further clarity on the deal, saying, “It also provides detailed arrangements for the dignified return and reintegration of Nigerians who do not have the legal right to remain in the UK.

“This arrangement includes: the use of secured travel documentation, case-by-case identity verification, and safeguards for vulnerable individuals and potential victims of trafficking.

“This framework also sets out clear definitions, scope, and areas of cooperation, including information sharing, capacity building, training, and joint research on migration management and border security.”