The United Kingdom government has recognised Nigeria’s classification of the members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation.
The government who revealed this in its policy update also excluded IPOB from asylum.
The Federal Government had in April expressed angst over the decision of the United Kingdom to offer asylum to ‘persecuted’ member of Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, and Movement for the Actualisation of Sovereign State of Biafra, MASSOB.
The asylum offer was contained in the UK Visas and Immigration guildelines released to its decision makers on how to consider and grant asylum applications by members of Biafran secessionist groups.
Asylum is said to be granted to ‘persecuted‘ members of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the Nigerian government alongside the Movement for the Actualisation of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB).
A few days after the policy notes were published, the UK government took it down, following complaints from the Nigerian government. This followed an e-mailed statement signed by Senior Communications Officer, Newsdesk, at the Home Office, Hannah Dawson, in which the UK Home Office said the policy was being reviewed and would be uploaded once ready.
However, in its May 2022 policy update, UKVI referred to IPOB as a terrorist organisation to be excluded from its asylum programme over alleged links to violence in the south-east.
“IPOB is proscribed as a terrorist group by the Nigerian government, and members of the group and its paramilitary wing – the Eastern Security Network (created in December 2020) – have reportedly committed human rights violations in Nigeria,” UKVI said in its policy notes.
“MASSOB has been banned, but is not a proscribed terrorist group in Nigeria. It too has reportedly been involved in violent clashes with the authorities.
“If a person has been involved with IPOB (and/or an affiliated group), MASSOB or any other ‘Biafran’ group that incites or uses violence to achieve its aims, decision makers must consider whether one (or more) of the exclusion clauses under the Refugee Convention is applicable.
“Persons who commit human rights violations must not be granted asylum,” the UK added.
Açcording to the policy brief, “anyone excluded in this manner is also excluded from a grant of humanitarian protection”.
“Decision makers must, however, still consider all claims on an individual basis, taking into account each case’s specific facts, the statement noted.
