UK Pulls Down Notice Announcing Asylum For ‘Persecuted’ IPOB, MASSOB Members

The British Government has pulled down a notice it published
regarding its asylum policy for pro-Biafra groups like Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of
Biafra (MASSOB).

In an email sent to Radio Now and signed by Hannah Dawson,
senior communications officer-Newsdesk at the Home office, the
British government said the policy is being reviewed and uploaded
once it is ready.

“Out note on Biafra separatists has been taken down for review;
an update is expected shortly,” the statement reads.

The UK government did not give a time frame when the updated
policy would be uploaded to their website.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) had recently released new
guidelines to its decision-makers on how to consider and grant
asylum applications by members of Biafran secessionist groups.

IPOB was formed in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu and is believed to be an
offshoot of MASSOB, which was founded in 1999 by Ralph
Uwazuruike.

Both are campaigning for the secession of mainly the south-east
but also several other ethnic nationalities from Nigeria.

In the earlier released ‘Country Policy and Information Note
Nigeria: Biafran secessionist groups’, the UKVI, a division of the
Home Office, directed its decision-makers to consider if a person
“who actively and openly supports IPOB is likely to be at risk of
arrest and detention, and ill-treatment which is likely to amount
to persecution”.

According to the guidelines, the decision-makers “must also
consider if the [Nigerian] government’s actions are acts of
prosecution, not persecution. Those fleeing prosecution or
punishment for a criminal offence are not normally refugees.
However, the prosecution may amount to persecution if it involves
victimisation in its application by the authorities”.

An example of persecution, the UKVI said, is “if it is the
vehicle or excuse for or if only certain groups are prosecuted for
a particular offence and the consequences of that discrimination
are sufficiently severe. The punishment which is cruel, inhuman or
degrading (including punishment which is out of all proportion to
the offence committed) may also amount to persecution”.

They are also to “consider each case on its facts to determine
if the person is likely to be of interest to the [Nigerian]
government and whether this is for the legitimate grounds of
prosecution which is proportionate and non-discriminatory”.

The British Government has pulled down a notice it published
regarding its asylum policy for pro-Biafra groups like Indigenous
People of Biafra (IPOB) and Movement for the Actualisation of
Biafra (MASSOB).

In an email sent to Radio Now and signed by Hannah Dawson,
senior communications officer-Newsdesk at the Home office, the
British government said the policy is being reviewed and uploaded
once it is ready.

“Out note on Biafra separatists has been taken down for review;
an update is expected shortly,” the statement reads.

The UK government did not give a time frame when the updated
policy would be uploaded to their website.

The UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) had recently released new
guidelines to its decision-makers on how to consider and grant
asylum applications by members of Biafran secessionist groups.

IPOB was formed in 2012 by Nnamdi Kanu and is believed to be an
offshoot of MASSOB, which was founded in 1999 by Ralph
Uwazuruike.

Both are campaigning for the secession of mainly the south-east
but also several other ethnic nationalities from Nigeria.

In the earlier released ‘Country Policy and Information Note
Nigeria: Biafran secessionist groups’, the UKVI, a division of the
Home Office, directed its decision-makers to consider if a person
“who actively and openly supports IPOB is likely to be at risk of
arrest and detention, and ill-treatment which is likely to amount
to persecution”.

According to the guidelines, the decision-makers “must also
consider if the [Nigerian] government’s actions are acts of
prosecution, not persecution. Those fleeing prosecution or
punishment for a criminal offence are not normally refugees.
However, the prosecution may amount to persecution if it involves
victimisation in its application by the authorities”.

An example of persecution, the UKVI said, is “if it is the
vehicle or excuse for or if only certain groups are prosecuted for
a particular offence and the consequences of that discrimination
are sufficiently severe. The punishment which is cruel, inhuman or
degrading (including punishment which is out of all proportion to
the offence committed) may also amount to persecution”.

They are also to “consider each case on its facts to determine
if the person is likely to be of interest to the [Nigerian]
government and whether this is for the legitimate grounds of
prosecution which is proportionate and non-discriminatory”.