US to deport 201 Nigerians, FG calls for dignified repatriation

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.