The Federal Government of Nigeria is making arrangements to receive Nigerians who may be deported from the United States. This comes amid ongoing immigration enforcement measures in the U.S. that could affect thousands of Nigerian nationals.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, the Director of Media and Corporate Affairs at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for handling the situation.
He also noted that the government has put an inter-agency committee in place to manage any potential mass deportation of Nigerians.
“The Federal Government has set up an inter-agency committee, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, should there be mass deportation of Nigerians from the US,” Balogun said
However, he clarified that NiDCOM has not received any official information regarding Nigerians in the U.S. currently being processed for deportation.
Reports indicate that approximately 3,690 Nigerians in the United States could face deportation as a result of intensified immigration enforcement under former U.S. President Donald Trump.
A document from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which was reviewed by reporters, contains data on foreign nationals facing deportation. The document reveals that as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens in the U.S. have final removal orders.
The report further notes that Mexico and El Salvador have the highest numbers of nationals facing deportation, with 252,044 and 203,822 individuals, respectively. The ICE is responsible for enforcing immigration laws and addressing security threats linked to illegal immigration.
Meanwhile, last week, U.S. authorities carried out a large-scale immigration crackdown, arresting hundreds of migrants and deporting others using military aircraft. This development has raised concerns that Nigerians and other African immigrants in the U.S. may soon be targeted for deportation.
