No blockage asylum for IPOB, applications will follow procedure – UK

The United Kingdom has excluded a complete ban on members of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) who apply for asylum. Instead, the UK discloses that all applications will be considered on their individual merit.

The Head of Communications, British High Commission in Nigeria, Mr Dean Hurlock, made this known during a chat with Top Naija.

The United Kingdom Visas and Immigration had last month issued new procedures to its decision makers on how to consider and grant asylum applications to members of IPOB.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, declared that the move was impolite to Nigeria because IPOB had been banned by the Federal Government.

The United Kingdom eventually took down the procedures and assured to update it soon.

In a chat with Top Naija on if IPOB still eligible, Hurlock stated that applications by all Nigerian citizens would be treated on their individual merit.

He said, “This latest guidance is currently under review and has no longer been made available on our UK Government GOV.UK website.

“All asylum and human rights claims from Nigeria nationals, as is the case with all foreign nationals, are carefully considered on their individual merits in accordance with our international obligations.

“We publish reports in this way so it is clearer and fairer for all involved (applicants, their lawyers, judges, stakeholders such as the UNHCR). All UK asylum decisions can be appealed in the immigration courts, which are public.”

When questioned whether IPOB members would be given asylum if they qualify, he replied, “Every case is assessed on its own merit. If that guidance had never existed, we should still expect to consider a well-meaning application fairly and follow due process.”

Efforts to get response from the Federal Government failed as the phone line of the representative for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ferdinand Nwoye, showed that it was switched off while the Minister of Informational, Lai Mohammed, did not reply to questions on Sunday.