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The Federal Government has reaffirmed its refusal to accept deportees from the United States, distancing itself from recent decisions by Rwanda, Eswatini and South Sudan to take in foreign nationals expelled under Washington’s controversial “third-country deportation” policy.
Speaking to Saturday Punch, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, stressed that Nigeria’s position remains unchanged, citing national security, economic concerns and sovereignty.
“Even if other African countries are accepting deportees from the US, Nigeria will not accept them. We are a sovereign country and we take decisions only after fully analysing the implications to our national security,” Ebienfa said.
Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, had in July disclosed that the Donald Trump administration was mounting “considerable pressure” on African countries to accept deportees convicted of crimes, including Venezuelans, some directly from US prisons.
Describing the proposal as “unacceptable”, Tuggar warned that such a move would unfairly burden countries already grappling with internal challenges.
“It will be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own… We already have 230 million people,” he said.
Under Section 243(d) of the US Immigration and Nationality Act, Washington can suspend visa issuance to countries that refuse to cooperate with deportation efforts.
In April, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders after the country initially declined to accept its repatriated citizens.
The controversial deportation policy, revived after a US Supreme Court ruling in June, allows the US to send deportees to countries other than their own if their home nations refuse to take them back.
Other African Nations Accepting Deportees
Since the policy’s revival, South Sudan has received deportees from Vietnam, Jamaica and Yemen, while Eswatini has taken in individuals from countries such as Cuba and Laos. Rwanda has also struck a deal to accept up to 250 migrants, with the discretion to approve each case.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told CNN that approved migrants would receive “workforce training, health care, and accommodation support” to help integrate into the economy.
Ebienfa maintained that Nigeria’s priorities differ, noting that the country is already managing economic, social, and security pressures.
“We have our own issues we are struggling with. We will not allow ourselves to be pressured into accepting deportees, regardless of what other nations are doing,” he said.
He further highlighted Nigeria’s ongoing strategic projects, including the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline and its valuable rare earth mineral deposits, as evidence of the country’s significant economic and geopolitical standing.
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