FIERY British politician Professor Alexia Thomas of the Commonwealth Liberation Party (TCLP) has urged the Nigerian government to shut down the UK high commission in Abuja if London proceeds with pans to deport 29,000 Nigerians.

Over the last year, the British government has stepped up its anti-immigrant rhetoric, partly in response to the growing popularity of the  right wing UK Independence Party (Ukip). During the last British general elections, Ukip made significant gains and is currently the largest British party in the European parliament. 

Aware of the threat this poses to its traditional support base, the Conservative government of prime minister David Cameron has stepped up its threats to clamp down on immigration. This programme involves deporting 29,000 Nigerians who are thought to be living illegally in the UK. 

In response to the threat, Professor Thomas has given the British government 14 days to release all Nigerians held at detention centres across the country. She added that if this is not done, Britain should be prepared to face the shutting down of its high commission in Abuja, a retaliatory deportation of her citizens in Nigeria as well as a boycott of its airlines and products. 

Professor Alexia, a Nigeria-born, British fiery human rights activist leading the anti-deportation campaign said:“The UK  ruling government is given up till the 7th of December, 2015, to mandate to release Nigerian citizens from immigration detention centres unconditionally without compromise, or else by December 9 2015, they should expect Nigerian citizens to boycott British products and produce. The Nigerian people will refuse to patronise British airlines and Nigerian citizens will refuse to visit the British Embassy or submit applications nor pay them any fees. 

“The Conservative ruling party is compelled to refund all visa fees paid by Nigerians at home and abroad for residence and visitors’ applications which was declined from the year 1999 to 2015. By the 14th of December, 2015 the Conservative ruling party are requested to pronounce the immediate release of Nigerian citizens in detention centres or failure will see the British embassies in Lagos/Abuja shut down from operation to the public.” 

She also asked the British government to release the names of the dead who committed suicide and were killed in the hands of deportation staff. Professor Alexia demanded that a dead victim's dossier be compiled and send to the Nigerian foreign minister in Abuja.