The Federal Government has assured that it is prepared to welcome Nigerians who may be deported from the United States amid the ongoing immigration crackdown.
Director of Media and Corporate Affairs at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, disclosed this in an interview on Tuesday, stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is leading efforts on the matter.
According to Balogun, an inter-agency committee has already been set up to manage the situation, comprising the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).
“The Federal Government has set up an inter-agency committee should there be mass deportation of Nigerians from the US,” he confirmed.
However, Balogun emphasized that NiDCOM is not yet aware of any Nigerians in America currently being processed for deportation.
This comes as reports indicate that 3,690 Nigerians in the US could face deportation as part of former President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Documents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) show that as of November 24, 2024, over 1.4 million non-citizens are on ICE’s non-detained docket with final orders of removal.
Mexico and El Salvador currently top the list of nationalities facing the most deportations, with 252,044 and 203,822 individuals, respectively.
Last week, hundreds of migrants were reportedly arrested, and some were deported on military aircraft as US authorities intensified immigration enforcement. Reports indicate that Nigerians and other African migrants could be next in line for removal.
With the situation unfolding, the Nigerian government has reaffirmed its commitment to providing support for affected citizens.
