The Federal Government is prepared to welcome Nigerians who may be deported from the United States, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed on Tuesday that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is overseeing the situation. He added that an inter-agency committee has been set up to manage the process if mass deportations occur. The committee includes representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
However, Balogun clarified that NiDCOM is not aware of any ongoing deportation of Nigerians from the U.S. at the moment. Reports indicate that about 3,690 Nigerians in the U.S. face deportation following a crackdown on illegal immigrants under Donald Trump’s administration. A document from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed that, as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens in the U.S. have final removal orders. Mexico and El Salvador have the highest number of individuals facing deportation.
Last week, the U.S. intensified its deportation efforts, with hundreds of migrants arrested and others flown out on military aircraft. There are concerns that Nigerians and other African immigrants could be among the next to be deported.