The United States government has confirmed plans to deport a group of Nigerian nationals, with Lagos designated as their point of arrival, according to the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr.
Speaking on the repatriation process, Ambassador Mills stated that the first group to be deported would primarily consist of individuals currently serving prison sentences in the U.S. He emphasized that these individuals had either committed crimes or violated immigration laws, exhausted all legal appeals, and were now subject to deportation orders.
“Those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There wouldn’t be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja,” Mills said.
He further disclosed that approximately 201 Nigerian nationals are currently in U.S. immigration detention facilities, with 85 already cleared for deportation.
Addressing concerns about the impact of these deportations, Mills acknowledged the potential hardships faced by the affected individuals and their families in Nigeria. He noted that many deportees are breadwinners responsible for supporting relatives, including children whose education depends on their financial assistance.
“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 had not committed any violent crime,” he said.
The Ambassador also expressed hopes for a more structured and dignified approach to repatriation under the new U.S. administration.
