UK and Nigeria unveil three-year plan to combat immigration crime
The United Kingdom and Nigeria have agreed on a new three-year strategic plan aimed at tackling organised immigration crime and strengthening border security cooperation.
The initiative, announced in a joint statement by the UK Home Office, was finalised during the state visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the UK. The agreement was signed by UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood and Nigeria’s Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, outlining a broad framework to combat visa fraud, improve border systems, and enhance legal cooperation.
Under the plan, Nigeria is expected to review its legal framework to impose stricter penalties on immigration-related crimes, particularly offences involving forged or fraudulent documents. Both countries also pledged to strengthen laws and enforcement mechanisms around visa processing and travel documentation.
A key part of the agreement is the expansion of the UK–Nigeria Organised Immigration Crime Unit, with new memoranda focused on intelligence sharing and joint operations. The UK will also provide training and capacity-building support for Nigerian border agencies.
The partnership places emphasis on protecting vulnerable migrants, especially women and children, while also improving research, document verification systems, and monitoring processes through the UK–Nigeria Migration, Justice and Home Affairs Dialogue.
Both governments described the deal as a reflection of a shared commitment to tackling transnational crime and improving migration management through closer collaboration. The agreement forms part of wider engagements during Tinubu’s visit, which has focused on strengthening diplomatic ties across security, migration, and economic development between the two countries.
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