Authorities in the United States (US) have listed 201 Nigerians for deportation amid President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
Among those to be deported are convicted prisoners and others who committed different crimes.
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, hinted at the development when the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, visited her at the Tafawa Balewa House, Abuja.
“At the moment, we’re told that about 201 Nigerian nationals are in US immigration camps, and about 85 have been cleared for deportation. Will there be any way of ameliorating their pains?” Bianca said, calling for a dignified repatriation.
“This has been of great concern to not just Nigerian nationals in the US but family members in Nigeria who depend on them for survival, children whose school fees are paid for by these diasporans.”
“We are asking as a country whether they will be given ample time to handle their assets or will they just be bundled into planes and repatriated? It will really be traumatic, especially for those who have not committed any violent crime,” the minister was quoted as saying in a statement issued by her Special Assistant on Communication & New Media Magnus Eze.
The comment came amid the suspension of the Drop Box Visa System which could make it harder for Nigerians to apply for US visas.
Bianca, however, called on the US government to clarify its stance on the visa policy and to consider the impact it could have on Nigerians seeking to visit the US for genuine reasons.
She also expressed worries about the potential changes to the US student visa policy, with over 14,000 Nigerian students currently in the US.
In addition to these concerns, the minister addressed the uncertainty surrounding the future of USAID operations in Nigeria, asking for assurances that NGOs would continue despite any potential changes.
“We can’t say whether it’s outright suspension. A lot of NGOs are worried about getting clarifications. We will just make that appeal on behalf of the NGOs in Nigeria, even less than a month into the 90-day review, there have been concerns. And I know before the completion of the review, there are already humanitarian issues in Nigeria and Africa.
“We will make an appeal that this initiative be preserved, even if it’s abrogated as an agency, there must be a way of keeping the ideals to ensure that the poor beneficiaries in the communities, not just in Nigeria but Africa, are not abandoned.”
On his part, Mills assured that the US government would make its position clear in due course, particularly regarding the Drop Box Visa System and USAID’s future.
Mills said, “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 clearly violated US immigration laws. They appealed but were denied yet they are still in the US. They have committed immigration crime, people who have been ordered to leave.”
