Despite Anti-Immigration Pressures, UK Vows To Defend Nigerian Citizens

Despite Anti-Immigration Pressures, UK Vows To Defend Nigerian Citizens

The British High Commission in Nigeria has guaranteed the United Kingdom’s effort to safeguarding Nigerians and their interests following a week of violence and rioting against immigrants in certain regions of the country, sparked by religious tensions.

The riots broke out late last month, following the murder of three girls in Southport near Liverpool on July 29 which was falsely pinned on a Muslim immigrant by far-right influencers. Protests across England and Northern Ireland turned destructive injuring up to 50 persons as mobs clashed with police, smashing and burning buildings accommodating asylum-seekers, and other vehicles while repeating anti-Islamic chants.

The High Commission condemned the attacks as “abhorrent” and says “The UK will seek justice.”

“We will not as a country accept discrimination or attacks against any community,” a spokesperson for the commission told BusinessDay. “Extra policing and court sessions are in place to secure lives, properties, and prosecutions of criminal offenders. These protections include all communities in the UK.”

Earlier in the week, Keir Starmer, the UK Prime Minister announced a “standing army” of 6,000 specialist police officers to dispel the riots. Over 400 people have been arrested in the past week and 100 of the offenders now face prosecution.

The UK says the protection of Nigerians in these regions is important– to preserve its valuable trade partnership with Nigeria.

“Nigeria and our diaspora links matter to the UK, and we want to foster opportunities for mutual-long term benefit and closer ties,” the commission told BusinessDay. “Our trade relationship is currently worth around 7.1 billion in Sterling, and there is a Nigerian diaspora community in the UK of over 200,000 rightly proud of their successes and influence.”

Richard Montgomery, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria said 12 towns in total were affected by the riots but revealed that the UK government has set up 60 special courts comprising the UK police and legal operatives to look into the “criminal disorder.”

As of the year ending June 2021, people born outside the UK added up to 9.6 million people, an estimated 14.5 percent of the country’s population, according to The Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford. Nigeria makes up over 3 percent of this population.

In the UK, the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (Canuk) is the umbrella body representing all Nigerians in the country. Privy to the recent unrest, the organisation has asked for caution from its constituents and advised measures to stay safe.

“We urge all Nigerians in the UK to remain calm during these challenging times and to follow all safety measures and alerts issued by the government and local authorities,” the body wrote in a document provided to BusinessDay. “Any suspected criminal activity should be promptly reported to the police via 101 or other emergency contact numbers. Individuals are also encouraged to enhance their security by utilizing CCTV and other surveillance measures available to them.”

Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission says that no Nigerian has died or been affected by the attacks so far.