By Abigail Philip David
The Federal Government is prepared to receive Nigerians who may be deported from the United States, according to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM).
In an interview on Tuesday, NiDCOM’s Director of Media and Corporate Affairs, Abdur-Rahman Balogun, stated that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is responsible for coordinating such developments. He added that the government has already set up an inter-agency committee to address any potential mass deportation of Nigerians from the US.
“The Federal Government has established an inter-agency committee, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, NiDCOM, the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), to handle cases of mass deportation, should the need arise,” Balogun explained.
However, he clarified that NiDCOM has not received any official information about Nigerians being processed for deportation.
This statement comes amid reports that approximately 3,690 Nigerians in the US face deportation due to a crackdown on illegal immigrants by the American government.
A document from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), seen by journalists, revealed that as of November 24, 2024, 1,445,549 non-citizens are on ICE’s non-detained docket with final removal orders. The data breaks down deportation cases by nationality, with Mexico (252,044) and El Salvador (203,822) topping the list.
ICE, which is responsible for protecting the US from cross-border crime and illegal immigration, has intensified its operations, including mass arrests and deportations.
Last week, hundreds of migrants were arrested, and some were deported on military aircraft as part of a large-scale operation promised by former President Donald Trump. Reports suggest Nigerians and other African illegal immigrants in the US could be among the next targets for deportation.
NiDCOM assured that the Federal Government is monitoring the situation closely and is ready to support affected citizens.
