The United States has identified approximately 3,690 Nigerians for deportation as part of its ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrants, a policy initiated under former President Donald Trump.
However, Nigerian authorities have yet to receive official communication regarding the deportation process.
Efforts to obtain details from the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have yielded little information.
NiDCOM redirected inquiries to the foreign affairs ministry, where acting spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa stated that there has been no official confirmation regarding the number of deportees or their expected return date.
“At this moment, there is no verified information on the number of individuals or a confirmed date for their return,” Ebienfa said.
U.S. Immigration Crackdown
Since returning to office on January 20, former President Trump has intensified his immigration enforcement measures, leading to mass deportations.
In the first month of his second term, over 37,000 individuals were deported to countries including Honduras, Ecuador, and India.
While deportations to Nigeria and other African nations have not yet commenced on a large scale, officials expect the numbers to increase.
According to reports, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) ranked Nigeria second in Africa for deportation figures, behind Somalia, which has 4,090 individuals slated for removal.
First Batch of Deportees Expected in Lagos
U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Miller, disclosed that an initial group of 85 Nigerian deportees is set to be repatriated soon. He explained that the batch would include individuals convicted of crimes in the U.S., as well as those who violated immigration laws and lost their appeals.
“The deportees will be flown into Lagos. There will be no option for alternative locations such as Port Harcourt or Abuja. The first group consists of convicted individuals serving prison terms, along with those who have exhausted their legal options but remain in the U.S.,” Miller stated.
Despite this, Ebienfa reiterated that neither the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor the Nigerian Mission in the U.S. has received a confirmed timeline for their return.
