Several undocumented Nigerians and other Africans living in the UK are sleeping in street bins to avoid deportation.
In 2025, the British government embarked on a major review of its immigration policy, dubbed the Transformation Plan.
The policy has caused a wave of fear among immigrants, as those without legal status will be deported in mid-2025.
The Home Office announced that 43 asylum seekers and criminals were repatriated to Nigeria and Ghana on chartered flights.
The Home Office said: “Those deported had no right to remain in the UK, including 15 people who had unsuccessfully applied for asylum and 11 foreign criminals who had completed their sentences.”
Additionally, the UK government said it would continue to tighten immigration rules to reduce net migration, strengthen border controls and restructure legal immigration around skills and contribution.
A viral video later obtained by Diaspora Tales showed an African man sleeping in a bin on a snowy street in the UK.
A European man was seen asking to take advantage of shelter provided by the British government.
Reacting to the video, Nigerians in the UK who spoke to Diaspora Tales said many illegal immigrants are forced to leave their homes and sleep on the streets out of fear of being arrested, detained and deported.
crime and homelessness
Gisela Esapa of Dunstable County said many of the migrants sleeping on the streets or in dumpsters are usually people involved in crime and facing homelessness.
Mr Esapa said sleeping on the streets was not limited to Nigerians and other migrants, adding that Britons and other Europeans living in the UK were also in similar situations.
She noted that some Nigerians entered the UK illegally and became unemployed and homeless.
A Nigerian woman said people who are mentally unstable and use drugs often turn the streets into their homes.
She said: “When I lived in Luton, I saw many people, including Nigerians and British nationals, sleeping on the streets because they lacked documentation such as biometric residence permits.
“There are many migrants living in Luton and we have seen how they behave. Some were even afraid to go to the facilities provided by the British government because they thought they would be arrested, detained and deported.”
Another Nigerian living in London, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many homeless migrants were sleeping at train stations.
The official added that illegal immigrants will do anything to avoid deportation, including sleeping on the streets.
“Not all black people are homeless.”
Meanwhile, Maxwell Adeyemi, a Nigerian living in Bradford, told Diaspora Tales that being homeless in the UK has nothing to do with skin color or nationality.
He explained that several situations such as unemployment, lack of documentation, and crime are common factors that push people into homelessness.
“I don’t know if any Nigerians are experiencing homelessness at this point, but most of the homeless are not even black, but Asians and whites from Eastern Europe,” Adeyemi revealed.
Crime has consequences
Speaking on the issue, the Commission for Nigerians in the Diaspora said many Nigerians who have become homeless in the UK are simply facing the consequences of their crimes.
Speaking on behalf of NIDCOM, Director of Media, Public Relations and Protocols, Abdulrahman Balogun, said migrants who overstayed their visas and refused to return to Nigeria would be tempted to avoid immigration officials.
“They are simply facing the consequences of their crime, which is usually overstaying their visa,” Balogun said.
He added that NIDCOM was not aware of any recent cases of Nigerians sleeping on the streets in the UK.
“We will only accept deportees if the government hosting the Nigerians involves us in deporting illegal immigrants,” he added.
Documentation brings help
Diaspora Tales reports that the UK government only excludes immigrants without legal status, ensuring that even the legally homeless can receive support.
Such support is usually provided by local authorities who provide temporary accommodation such as hostels or shelters.
“There are accommodations for homeless people to sleep, and there are people providing food for them. But most importantly, support is always available to those who are legally resident in the UK,” Esapa added.
