The government of Nigeria has reached an agreement with the United Kingdom aimed at facilitating the return of individuals who were denied asylum as well as Nigerian nationals convicted of crimes.

The development was disclosed on Thursday by the UK Home Office.

Reports indicate that the arrangement was concluded during the recent visit of Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the United Kingdom earlier this week.

According to information reported by the Daily Mail, about 961 Nigerians currently seeking asylum in the UK have exhausted all available appeal options. This means their applications have been fully reviewed and they are no longer considered eligible for refugee protection in the country.

In addition, authorities in the UK are said to be preparing to repatriate around 1,110 Nigerian nationals who have been identified as offenders.