FG reacts as US moves to deport 3,690 Nigerians

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) has assured that the Federal Government is prepared to receive Nigerians who may be deported from the United States.

This is coming following the identification of 3,690 Nigerians among 1.4 million individuals classified as “illegal migrants” with deportation orders by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a document from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), these Nigerians have been on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal since 24 November 2024.

The non-detained docket consists of individuals who have been ordered to leave the U.S. or are in the deportation process but are not held in ICE custody. A report by Fox News revealed that over seven million people are on this list, including those detained in federal, state, or local jails but not directly in ICE custody.

Reacting to the development in an interview, the Director of Media and Corporate Affairs at NiDCOM, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that the Federal Government had already established a committee to manage the process if necessary.

“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.”

However, Balogun clarified that NiDCOM was not aware of any Nigerians currently being processed for deportation.

Among African nations, Nigeria ranks second in the number of citizens slated for deportation, following Somalia with 4,090. Ghana follows closely with 3,166.

Globally, the highest numbers of individuals with deportation orders are from Mexico (252,044), Guatemala (253,413), Honduras (261,651), and El Salvador (203,822). Other countries on the list include China (37,908), Haiti (32,363), Iran (2,618), Pakistan (776), Uzbekistan (975), and Venezuela (22,749).