Nigerians and the Securitisation of Migration and Integration Policies in the UK

Nigerians in the UK are part of a very diverse and numerous community. Most of the associations who represent Nigerians are organised alongside geographical, linguistic, professional or faith criteria. They look after the welfare of their members and organise regular events to promote Nigerians in the UK, support and reunite them despite their differences. Some of these associations have been working to promote a more ‘active’ engagement of Nigerians in the UK and act as a bridge between UK authorities and the Nigerian community. Problems of cultural discrepancies, of ignorance of the law reinforce the necessity for these associations to interface with local authorities and the police forces to tackle issues likely to have an impact upon the Nigerian community: human trafficking and slavery, FMG, domestic violence and petty criminality. Although the Nigerian community has not been stigmatised as strongly as other communities in the current context of terrorism threats, associations’ leaders are nonetheless aware that there is some room for improvement in their relation with British authorities.

This paper draws on preliminary findings on the Nigerian community to present a landscape of community associations with a specific focus on some of them: the Central Association of Nigerians in the UK (CANUK), the Association of British Law Enforcement Officers (ABLE), the Nigerian Police Forum Association and Nigerian Organisation for Women (NOW). It looks at the way these associations manage to reach out the Nigerian community, support it and raise awareness of policing issues that can affect their members.