The Donald Trump led United States (US)’s administration is set to return Nigerian convicted prisoners and other deportees under the current administration’s immigration policies, to Lagos State, according to a statement from Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The US envoy to Nigeria, Richard Miller, confirmed that 85 deportees would be taken to Lagos, though no specific date was provided.
The 85 deportees are part of the over 200 Nigerians, who are in the immigration camps and set to be deported home from the United States in line with Trump’s immigration policy.
Miller’s statement explained that the first batch of deportees, comprising Nigerians who have been convicted in the United States, would be repatriated to Lagos State.
“Those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There wouldn’t 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 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,” he said.
In response to this development, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, urged the US to adhere to established protocols during the deportation process.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu stressed the need for deportations to be conducted with dignity.
In a statement issued by her special assistant on communication and new media, Magnus Eze, on Sunday, she expressed concerns over the potential suspension of the US Drop Box Visa System, noting the emotional and financial hardship it inflicts on Nigerians in the US.
“With the new U.S. administration, we want commitments. If deportation must happen, it should be dignified,” she stated.
She questioned whether deportees would have adequate time to manage their assets before being bundled onto planes, and warned that the traumatic impact of deportation extends not only to the deportees but also to their families in Nigeria who depend on remittances for survival and education.
The minister also called on the US government to reconsider suspending the Drop Box Visa Policy to ensure that genuine travellers and over 14,000 Nigerian students in the US are not adversely affected.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu demanded an official US statement clarifying its position on the Drop Box system, amid growing concerns among Nigerians regarding potential changes to visa policies.
Recall that at least 3,690 Nigerians were scheduled for deportation from the United States, as Trump’s deportation of illegal immigrants in the country got underway.
The Trump administration has been carrying out raids and arrests in several cities, including Chicago, New York City, and Los Angeles, targeting illegal immigrants.
This latest development is part of a broader effort by the administration to tighten immigration laws, with thousands of people already detained and hundreds deported in recent days.
According to a report, the US has broken down the data by nationality and the number of people billed to be returned home.
