- NiDCOM is not currently aware of any Nigerians in the US undergoing deportation procedures.
- Balogun stated that an inter-agency committee, comprising NiDCOM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), has been established to manage the situation if a large number of Nigerians are deported.
The Nigerian government is prepared to welcome Nigerians potentially facing deportation from the United States, according to Abdur-Rahman Balogun, Director of Media and Corporate Affairs at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
Eko Hot Blog reports that Balogun stated that an inter-agency committee, comprising NiDCOM, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), has been established to manage the situation if a large number of Nigerians are deported.
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However, he noted that NiDCOM is not currently aware of any Nigerians in the US undergoing deportation procedures.
The statement comes amid reports that approximately 3,690 Nigerians face deportation due to former President Donald Trump’s stricter immigration policies and intensified crackdown on illegal immigrants.
While the exact number of Nigerians affected remains uncertain, Balogun emphasized the Nigerian government’s readiness to receive and assist its citizens in such circumstances.
According to a report from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), 1,445,549 non-citizens are on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders as of November 2024. Among these, Mexico and El Salvador have the highest numbers of deportees.
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The US government, through ICE, aims to address cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threatens national security.
Recently, hundreds of migrants, including Nigerians, were arrested or deported as part of Trump’s mass deportation initiative.
It is anticipated that African immigrants, including Nigerians, may be among the next groups targeted for deportation.
