Deportation

What’s it like to be deported or forcibly removed from the UK? Recorded over the past year, these are the stories of three people sent to Nigeria, a country they left many years ago, and what happens to them once they arrive.

Fola was training to be a nurse and married to a British citizen, but when the marriage broke down her right to remain was stopped. After thirteen years in the UK, she was removed to Nigeria. Is she able start a new business there after so many years away?

Shams was born in Nigeria and came to the UK when he was ten years old to join his family. He went to school in England but, after serving a prison sentence, was deported to Lagos as a foreign national. Can Shams stay in contact with his young son and daughter in England and earn a living in an unfamiliar city where unemployment is high?

Jessica came to the UK as a student and lived in Scotland. When she was unable to extend her visa, she was forcibly removed to Lagos after thirteen years living in the UK. With £10 cash on her when she arrived in Lagos, and all her belongings still in Glasgow, can Jessica, who has a serious health condition, build a new life in Nigeria?

Producer: Jo Wheeler
A Somethin’ Else production for BBC Radio 4

Protesters who delayed flights and closed a runway at Stansted airport have avoided immediate jail sentences