Up to 61 foreign nationals found guilty of irregular immigration were deported from Nigeria back to their countries by the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) in August 2024.
The NIS revealed this in its August report stating that it “eased out” the immigrants as part of its efforts to “address irregular migration” in the country.
Additionally, the service mentioned that it had facilitated up to 8,352 Visas on Arrival for newcomers as part of its recent Visa policy.
The NIS launched the Nigeria Visa Policy 2020 (the NVP 2020) on February 4, 2020, as part of the continuous effort of the Federal Government to support the country’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) by ensuring that local visa policies reflect global best practices.
The policy included the Visa on Arrival which is available for short visits to passport holders of African Union member states.
This would not be the first case of Nigeria deporting foreign nationals on charges of informal migration, however. Under Fmr. President Muhammadu Buhari, up to 36 Indians and two Democratic People’s Republic of Korea nationals were deported.
The charges were that the Indian nationals gained entry into Nigeria with fake visas and counterfeit Immigration stamps, while the Koreans failed to “regularise their stay upon the expiration of their contract with Zamfara State Government.”
