Lagos, Nigeria – No fewer than 201 Nigerians are set to be deported from the United States in accordance with President Donald Trump’s immigration policy......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
Among them, 85 have been cleared for immediate deportation. According to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr., the first batch of deportees includes those serving jail terms in U.S. prisons.
Details of the repatriation plan
During a meeting with Nigeria’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, Mills Jr. disclosed that deportees would be taken to Lagos.
“There wouldn’t be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja,” he stated.
The ambassador explained that the initial group of deportees includes individuals who have committed crimes and violated U.S. immigration laws.
Despite appealing their cases, these individuals remain in the U.S. and have been ordered to leave.
Call for dignified repatriation
Minister Odumegwu-Ojukwu pleaded for dignified treatment for Nigerians being deported, emphasizing the need to follow laid-down conventions.
She urged the U.S. to find ways to alleviate the trauma of those being repatriated, including allowing them ample opportunity to retrieve their assets in America.
Odumegwu-Ojukwu expressed concerns about the emotional and financial impacts on families in Nigeria who rely on remittances from relatives in the U.S. for survival and education.
Concerns over Trump’s immigration policy
Odumegwu-Ojukwu highlighted that the Trump Administration’s aggressive pursuit of deporting undocumented immigrants has already affected citizens of countries such as Colombia, Mexico, and India.
She emphasized the need for commitments from the U.S. administration to ensure a dignified return for those being deported.
“At the moment, we’re told that about 201 Nigerian nationals are in U.S. immigration camps and about 85 have been cleared for deportation. Will there be any way of ameliorating their pains?” she asked.