The Federal Government has reiterated its stance against accepting deportees from the United States, firmly distancing itself from recent decisions by Rwanda, Eswatini, and South Sudan to cooperate with Washington’s controversial “third-country deportation” policy.
Speaking to Saturday Punch, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa stressed that Nigeria’s position remains unchanged, citing national security, economic concerns, and the country’s sovereignty.
“Even if other African countries are accepting deportees from the U.S., 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 stated.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar, in July, revealed that the Donald Trump administration had been mounting “considerable pressure” on African nations to accept deportees convicted of crimes — including Venezuelans, some directly from U.S. prisons.
Describing the proposal as “unacceptable”, Tuggar warned it would unfairly burden countries already dealing 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 U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act, Washington can suspend visa issuance to countries refusing to cooperate with deportation efforts. In April, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio threatened to revoke all visas held by South Sudanese passport holders after Juba initially declined to accept its repatriated citizens.
The revived deportation policy, cleared by a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in June, allows the U.S. to send deportees to countries other than their own if their home nations refuse to take them back.
African Nations Cooperating with the U.S.
Since the policy’s revival, South Sudan has received deportees from Vietnam, Jamaica, and Yemen, while Eswatini has taken in individuals from Cuba and Laos. Rwanda has also agreed to accept up to 250 migrants, with case-by-case approval.
Rwandan government spokesperson Yolande Makolo told CNN that approved migrants would be provided with “workforce training, health care, and accommodation support” to aid integration.
Ebienfa maintained that Nigeria’s priorities differ, noting that the country is already managing significant 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 ongoing strategic projects, including the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline and the nation’s valuable rare earth mineral deposits, as evidence of Nigeria’s strong economic and geopolitical standing.
