NIGERIA: FG Prepares To Receive Deported Nigerians As US Cracks Down On Illegal Immigrants

By Onoja Baba, Nigeria

Federal Government of Nigeria has assured that it is fully prepared to receive any Nigerians who may be deported from the United States, following an intensifierod crackdown on illegal immigrants.

Speaking on Tuesday, the Director of Media and Corporate Affairs of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed that the government has established an inter-agency committee to handle any potential deportations.

The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

“The Federal Government has set up an inter-agency committee, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the NSA, should there be mass deportation of Nigerians from the US,” Balogun said.

However, he clarified that NiDCOM has not received any official report regarding Nigerians currently being processed for deportation.

This development follows reports that about 3,690 Nigerians in the United States are facing deportation amid the US government’s renewed efforts to remove undocumented immigrants.

A document compiled by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and sighted by journalists revealed that, as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens had received final removal orders.

The list of affected individuals is broken down by nationality, with Mexico and El Salvador leading the chart, having 252,044 and 203,822 persons, respectively.

The ICE is responsible for enforcing US immigration laws and protecting national security. Last week, US authorities launched mass deportation operations, leading to the arrests of hundreds of undocumented migrants, while others were deported on military aircraft.

Given this trend, concerns have grown that Nigerians and other African migrants may soon be targeted in subsequent waves of deportations.