The Federal Government has declared its readiness to receive deported Nigerians from the United States as reports emerge that thousands of undocumented immigrants, including Nigerians, are being targeted in a sweeping crackdown led by former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Director of Media and Corporate Affairs of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, confirmed the development in an interview with Vanguard on Tuesday evening.
He stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is taking the lead on the matter, ensuring that necessary arrangements are in place should mass deportations occur.
According to him, the government has already set up an inter-agency committee comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) to coordinate the return and reintegration of affected citizens.
Despite these preparations, Balogun clarified that NiDCOM has yet to receive any formal notification regarding the deportation of Nigerians from the U.S. However, official U.S. immigration records indicate that at least 3,690 Nigerians are facing removal orders.
A document compiled by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and its Enforcement and Removal Operations unit, sighted by journalists on Tuesday, revealed that as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens were on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal.
Nigerians are among those at risk, alongside nationals from Mexico, El Salvador, and other countries with significant undocumented populations.
The ICE document titled "Noncitizens on the ICE Non-Detained Docket with Final Orders of Removal by Country of Citizenship" shows that Mexico and El Salvador lead the list with 252,044 and 203,822 individuals facing deportation, respectively.
The agency, tasked with enforcing U.S. immigration laws and protecting national security, has ramped up operations, arresting hundreds of migrants last week and deporting others on military aircraft as part of Trump’s renewed immigration crackdown.
There are growing concerns that Nigerians and other African migrants could be among the next group of deportees as the U.S. government intensifies its efforts to remove undocumented foreigners.
Reports from The PUNCH indicate that Trump’s administration is prioritizing mass deportation efforts, which may lead to a surge in the number of Nigerians returning home involuntarily.
With these developments unfolding, all eyes are now on the Federal Government’s ability to manage the reintegration of deported Nigerians and prevent a humanitarian crisis.
[punch]