By Ed Malik, A | ed@ddnewsonline.com | posted 17th february, 2025
The first group of Nigerians to be deported under U.S. President Donald Trump’s immigration policy is scheduled to arrive in Lagos today.
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According to the arrangement, 85 Nigerian nationals will be deported, while an additional 116 remain in detention across the United States.
Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has expressed concerns over the deportations and urged the U.S. government to ensure that the process is handled with dignity and in line with international human rights standards.
In a statement released on Sunday by her media aide, Magnus Eze, the minister disclosed that approximately 201 Nigerians are currently being held in U.S. immigration detention centers, with 85 already cleared for deportation.
Writing on her X account on Monday, February 17, 2025, Odumegwu-Ojukwu reiterated the Federal Government’s stance, insisting on adherence to internationally prescribed guidelines in handling deportations.
Meanwhile, the U.S. government has confirmed that all deportees will be flown directly to Lagos. U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., stated that the first group of deportees includes individuals who have completed prison sentences for criminal offenses, as well as those who have violated U.S. immigration laws.
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“Those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There would not be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja.
“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 crimes, people who have been ordered to leave,” Mills stated.
Bianca however expressed concerns over the emotional and financial impact of deportations on Nigerians in the US and their families, emphasizing the need for humane and compliant processes.
“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.
“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,” she asked.
The deportation process is a consequence of a broader immigration crackdown initiated by the Donald Trump administration. This campaign was reinforced through several executive orders aimed at tightening immigration policies.
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These measures included proposals to end birthright citizenship for children of immigrants and the declaration of a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. Additionally, Trump announced the deployment of more troops to the southern border and reiterated his commitment to deporting millions of undocumented immigrants.