Every year, thousands of people in the UK pass away without leaving a will, resulting in unclaimed estates many of which belong to African migrants, particularly Nigerians. These assets, including property, savings, and other valuables, are classified as “bona vacantia” (ownerless goods) and transferred to the Crown if no legal heirs come forward.
The UK government’s latest unclaimed estates list includes over 170 cases linked to African-born individuals. Many families in Africa are unaware that their deceased relatives left behind wealth in the UK, leading to a permanent loss of assets and family legacies.
Why This Matters
Beyond the financial loss, these estates hold cultural and emotional significance. They represent the journeys, struggles, and achievements of migrants who built lives in the diaspora. However, several factors contribute to these assets remaining unclaimed:
- Lack of Awareness: Many families in Africa do not know their relatives had assets in the UK or how to claim them.
- Genealogical Gaps: The unclaimed estates’ list often lacks detailed family history, making it difficult to trace rightful heirs.
- Cultural Hesitations: In many African cultures, discussing wills and inheritance is considered taboo, leading to a lack of estate planning.
How Families Can Claim These Estates
If you suspect a deceased relative may have left behind unclaimed assets in the UK, here’s what you can do:
- Check the Bona Vacantia List: The UK government maintains a daily updated list of unclaimed estates. Families can search by name, birth details, and other identifiers.
- Verify Eligibility: The UK has a legal hierarchy for inheritance. Eligible heirs include spouses, children, siblings, and other close family members.
- Gather Documentation: To support a claim, families must provide:
- A detailed family tree showing their relationship to the deceased.
- Birth, marriage, and death certificates.
- Identification documents.
- Submit a Claim: Contact the UK Government Legal Department’s Bona Vacantia Division with all required documents.
- Mind the Time Limits: Claims are generally accepted within 12 years (with interest) or up to 30 years (without interest) after the estate’s administration.
How Migrants Can Prevent Assets from Being Lost
To ensure that wealth is passed down to rightful heirs, African migrants in the UK should take proactive steps:
- Write a Will: Drafting a will ensures assets are distributed according to personal wishes.
- Keep Records Updated: Maintain accessible financial and property records.
- Inform Relatives: Make sure family members know about any UK-based assets.
By addressing this issue, families can reclaim their rightful inheritance and preserve the legacies of those who built lives in the diaspora. Unclaimed estates are more than just wealth they are untold stories of migration, resilience, and identity that deserve to be remembered.
