The United States will deport 85 Nigerians in the coming days, with their arrival set for Lagos.
This move is part of the US government’s immigration policies under President Donald Trump.
According to Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deportees include individuals convicted of crimes and others who violated US immigration laws.
Some had appealed their deportation orders but were denied.
“Those to be repatriated would be dropped in Lagos. There wouldn’t be room for whether it should be in Port Harcourt or Abuja.
“The first group will be convicted prisoners. Those who committed crimes and are in US prisons. Some of them are those who have violated US immigration laws. They appealed but were denied, yet they are still in the US. They have committed immigration crimes, people who have been ordered to leave,” US envoy to Nigeria, Richard Miller said.
Recent reports show that US immigration authorities have listed 3,690 Nigerians for deportation.
Nigeria ranks second in Africa for the highest number of deportees, with Somalia having the most.
The US government’s crackdown on illegal migration has faced criticism, with concerns raised over the treatment of deportees.