The United States government has confirmed plans to deport Nigerian nationals, with the first group comprising convicted criminals, according to US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr.
Speaking during a meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mills Jr. stated that the deportees would be repatriated via Lagos.
“Those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There wouldn’t be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja,” he said.
He further explained that the first batch of deportees would include individuals who had committed crimes in the US, violated immigration laws, and exhausted their legal appeals.
“The first group will be convicted prisoners. Those who committed crimes and are in US prisons. Some of them are those who have clearly violated US immigration laws. They appealed but were denied yet they are still in the US. They have committed immigration crime, people who have been ordered to leave,” Mills Jr. stated.
In response, Odumegwu-Ojukwu urged the US government to adhere to international protocols regarding deportations, emphasizing the need for a dignified process.
She also appealed for measures to ease the trauma of those affected, including allowing them time to handle their personal affairs and retrieve their assets in the US before repatriation.
“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,” she said.
The minister expressed concerns about the potential suspension of the US Drop Box Visa System, warning that it could pose difficulties for Nigerians traveling for legitimate reasons.
“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,” she added.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu also highlighted the impact of US immigration policies on Nigerian families, particularly those reliant on remittances.
“At the moment, we’re told that about 201 Nigerian nationals are in US immigration camps, and about 85 have been cleared for deportation,” she disclosed.
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