The United States (US) has finalized plans to repatriate 201 Nigerians, including individuals with criminal records and those residing in the country without proper documentation.
This move is part of a broader immigration enforcement effort under President Donald Trump’s administration.
The US government cited violations of immigration laws and criminal records as reasons for the deportation.
During a meeting with US Ambassador Richard Mills at Tafawa Balewa House in Abuja, Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, addressed concerns over the impending deportation.
READ ALSO: Three Nigerians win election in US, Australia
The minister stated that those being repatriated would be dropped off in Lagos, emphasising that there was no room for debate on whether they should be sent to Port Harcourt or Abuja instead.
She added that the first group to be deported would consist of convicted criminals currently serving prison sentences in the US.
According to her, some of the deportees had clearly violated US immigration laws, appealed their cases, but were denied and remained in the country unlawfully.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Magnus Eze, the minister’s media aide, both officials discussed concerns about the deportation process, with Odumegwu-Ojukwu advocating for a dignified repatriation of the affected Nigerians.
The statement partly read: “They have committed immigration crimes, people who have been ordered to leave. With the new administration in the US, we want a situation where there will be commitments. If there will be repatriation, we want a dignified return.
READ ALSO: Davido, Wizkid, 4 other Nigerian artistes nominated for 2025 Grammy Awards
“At the moment, we’re told that about 201 Nigerian nationals are in US immigration camps, and about 85 have been cleared for deportation.”
“Will there be any way of ameliorating their pains? This has been of great concern to not just Nigerian nationals in the US but family members in Nigeria who depend on them for survival, children whose school fees are paid for by these diasporans.
“We are asking as a country whether they will be given ample time to handle their assets or will they just be bundled into planes and repatriated? It will really be traumatic especially for those who had not committed any violent crime.”
