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Tag: deported

  • 36 Nigerians deported from Sweden

    36 Nigerians deported from Sweden

    The Federal Government has received 36 Nigerian migrants deported from Sweden.

    The migrants were received yesterday at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by officials of the National Commission for Refugees Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI).

    The returnees were given dignity kits consisting of diapers, toothpaste, shirts, towels, toothpaste, toothbrushes, slippers, creams, and bags, as well as N158,000 stipend each, courtesy of IRARA.

    Their return was facilitated by International Returns and Reintegration Assistance (IRARA).

    Speaking on what led to the deportation of the returnees, the Director of Migrant Affairs of the commission, Ambassador Catherine Udida said: “Usually, they would have been contacted and informed that their visa had expired or they had overstayed.

    “They would have been informed to leave and, if after one or two trials they are given the opportunity to return and they (migrants) refused to return, then the country starts processing their deportation because it is different from those who come back voluntarily.”

    On the fate of the deportees, she said: “We have profiled them and identified those who are vulnerable. In addition to taking them to the hotel for a few days to understand what the real issues are, we will follow up with referrals.

    “We will also send them to the various shelters we have and keep counseling them to accept the fact that they are back home, and they have opportunities to start their lives.

    “If they had come voluntarily, there is usually a livelihood support scheme that is provided and they go for training with stipends attached. But because they were deported, the onus is on us as a government to make their lives as comfortable as possible.

    “So, most times, we keep them for two weeks and even up to a year. Whether they were deported or not, we will make sure we give them livelihood support.”

    On what caused the deportation, IRARA Country Director Roland Nwoha said it may be due to failure to promptly renew their resident permit upon expiration.

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    “These are Nigerians who, for different immigration reasons, have been asked to leave Sweden.

    “For IRARA, our role is to support Nigerians coming back to help them get safe landing. Many of them were brought back from detention centres, and some were picked up from the street. So, you can imagine that coming back would be difficult.

    “What we are doing is to provide them with arrival assistance, cash support, and give them a place to stay. For some, we will support them to establish income-generating activities.

    “For each of them, they would be getting N158,000, including the children.

    “Some of the migrants may tell you they have resident permits, but if you check, you will realise that it is either the papers have expired or are about to expire…”

  • 160 Nigerians deported from Libya

    NEMA has received another batch of 160 stranded Nigerians from Libya.

    The returnees were received by the Coordinator, Lagos Territorial Office of NEMA, Alhaji Idris Muhammed at the Cargo Wing of MMIA, Ikeja,Lagos.

    They were brought back by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) with EU’s Special Intervention on Assisted Voluntary Returnees (AVR) programme and arrived Nigeria at about 7:50 pm  on Thursday evening via Nouvelair Airline of Libya.

    The returnees were made up of 68 female adults, one female child and five female infants.

    Also, there were 79 male adults, two male children and five male infants making up 74 females and 86 males, including a psychologically traumatized adult male.

    The coordinator while receiving them implored other Nigerians still aspiring to travel out of the country to desist from irregular migrations removing the fundamental rights that such migrants could have enjoyed.

    A returnee, Mrs Adebisi Komolafe, from Osogbo, Osun State, while narrating her experience, said: “Nigerians need to be praying fervently for our leaders, especially the president.

    Despite the bad situations in Libya, the people believe in their leaders and are praying fervently for them. They still see hope in their country.

    “If Nigerians can avoid blaming government for everything, with faith and sincerity, our prayers will be accepted by God.

    “God will guide our leaders right, if we direct our supplications to Almighty God to guide our leaders right.

    “I don’t wish any Nigerian should think of travelling to Libya. I never knew the situation in Libya before I left. If I had known, I wouldn’t have travelled there.

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    “Nigeria is far better than that country. We need prayers and sincerity in Nigeria.

    “I worked as a housemaid and had the opportunity to make some money, but the lack of government is a serious problem there. You cannot send money back home since I left Nigeria in 2016.

    “ The only thing I did was to buy goods that I could sell  in Nigeria and I brought everything back now.”

    Miss Aisha Ibrahim, from Oyo State, regretted her ordeal.

    “My sister told me that there were opportunities in Libya, I thought it was an opportunity to travel and make better life like in London or America.

    “My sister paid for my transportation and after a week on arrival at Libya, I got a housemaid work.

    “You must work and carryout any instructions given by those people. You must do whatever directives given. Failure to obey them will attract punishment or arrest.

    “At times, I will not come back to my sister’s house for three or six months. In Libya, you don’t have freedom. Once they hear you are a Nigerian, trouble starts. They don’t like us.  You cannot change work.

    “If you have travelling documents and you are caught, those documents will not be returned to you and you will be arrested. They can raid your house and cart away all your savings and property.”

    Miss Ibrahim explained that she worked for six months without break and when she wanted to visit her sister, she was accosted on the road.

    “I was arrested, all my money was taken away from me and above all, about 400,000 naira was paid to free me by my sister, and this made me to come back to Nigeria by going to the Nigerian Embassy. No Nigerian should think of going to Libya”.

  • 4,281 Nigerians deported in six months

    No fewer than 4,281 Nigerians were repatriated through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos in the first half of 2017.

    According to a document made available to The Nation by a source in  Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), they were repatriated through various countries in Europe, America and some African countries.

    The deportees arrived at the airport through chartered and regular flights.

    The report added that 691,934 travellers departed through the airport and another  560,988 travellers arrived in the country within the period under review.

    According to the document, between January and June, 2017, no fewer than 2,251 Nigerians were deported through chartered flights majorly from Libya and some European countries.

    The breakdown of the chartered flights deportees indicated that 1,321 of them were men and 930 women.

    Besides, those deported through regular flights, which were mainly from Europe, South Africa and a few African countries were 2,030 Nigerians.

    The composition of the deportees revealed that just like in the chartered flights, majority of them were men.

    The document added that  1,502 men and 528 women were deported in the first half of the year.

    Of these numbers, those who were involved in criminal activities in their host countries were handed over to the Nigeria Police for further prosecution.

  • 138 Nigerians deported from Libya

    One hundred and thirty eight Nigerians were deported yesterday from Libya in North African.

    The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said the deportees comprise 106 female adults, three female children, eight male adults, 18 male children and three male infants.

    They were said to have arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Ikeja, Lagos, about 6.07 p.m.

    The deportees, NEMA officials said, were flown aboard an Airbus 320 with registration number ONO and flight number BRQ 189/190.

    Yesterday’s deportation brings to 2,232 the number of Nigerians that have been deported from Libya since last year under a programme facilitated by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM)

    Besides NEMA, other government agencies and stakeholders have been involved in the reception, rehabilitation and reintegration of deportees.

    Confirming the return of the 138 Nigerians yesterday, NEMA’s Director General Mustapha Maihajja said the activities of human traffickers and their conspirators were embarrassing Nigeria.

    The NEMA chief warned those involved in human trafficking to desist.

    He urged parents and relatives involved in the illegal acts to retrace their steps.

    Maihajja described trafficking as the worst form of corruption, adding that those involved were misleading and denying the victims a promising future.

  • 262 Nigerians deported from Libya

    No fewer than 262 Nigerians were on Wednesday returned from Libya.

    They were brought back aboard a chartered Libyan Airlines aircraft with registration number 5A-LAR.

    The aircraft landed at 10p.m. at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The returnees consists 108 men, 135 women, eight children and 11 infants.

    They were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

    The returnees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Addressing reporters, the NEMA Director-General, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja, said the agency in collaboration with the IOM was working to ensure that Nigerians stranded in Libya are brought back home.

    Maihaja, who was represented by Zonal Coordinator, NEMA Southwest, Mr. Suleiman Yakubu, said both the Federal and state governments had initiated various programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate the returnees into the society.

  • 262 Nigerians deported from Libya

    262 Nigerians deported from Libya

    Not fewer than 262 Nigerians were on Wednesday  returned from Libya .

    They distraught Nigerians were brought back aboard a chartered Libyan Airlines  aircraft with registration number 5A-LAR.

    The aircraft landed  at 10 pm at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The returnees consists  108 males, 135 females, eight children and 11 infants.

    They were brought back by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Embassy in Libya.

    The returnees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) , the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    Addressing newsmen, Alhaji Mustapha Maihaja,  the Director General, NEMA, said the agency in collaboration with the IOM was working to ensure that Nigerians stranded in Libya are brought back home.

    The Director General who was represented by Mr Suleiman Yakubu, Zonal Coordinator, South West, NEMA, said both the federal government and state governments had initiated various programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate the returnees into the society.

    He further advised Nigerians, especially the youths not to be lured into the quest for greener pastures, adding that there was enough opportunities in the country.

  • ‘1,134 Nigerians deported in three months’

    NO fewer than 1,134 Nigerians have been deported to Nigeria from some countries between February to April for migration offences.

    The offences include: human trafficking, smuggling of migrants, non-possession of valid travel documents among other.

    Of the number, 905 were deported from Libya in five batches; 115 from Italy in four batches; 41 from Mali; 26 from Burkina Faso; 14 from Ghana; 22 from the United Arab Emirate (Dubai); 1 from Cameroun; 8 from Cote d’Voire; and two from Togo.

    These figures were released in Abuja yesterday by the Director-General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Julie Okah-Donli at the opening of an expanded management meeting of the agency.

    The meeting had in attendance officers on the directorate cadre and all the zonal commanders of the Agency.

    The meeting was aimed at exchanging ideas on how to reposition the agency for better service delivery.

    The director-general who stated that even though the figure was alarming and embarrassing, it was still a far cry from the number of persons, including victims of human trafficking, stranded across various countries, especially in Africa, awaiting assistance to return home.

  • 50 Nigerians deported

    50 Nigerians deported

    Fifty Nigerians were yesterday deported from eight European countries over immigration and drug-related offences.

    Some of the countries are Germany, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Austria.

    Others are Belgium, Spain, Hungary and Sweden.

    The latest deportation is coming barely 48 hours after 40 Nigerians were deported for the same reasons from Italy and a week after 23 Nigerians were equally repatriated from United Kingdom.

    The latest deportees arrived the country through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos with a chartered aircraft with flight number P6-6991 by 7:40am.

    A source close to the Department of State Security (DSS) attached to the airport said the deportees comprised 47 males and three females.

    According to the source, three of the deportees were repatriated for drug-related issues while 47 others were returned for other immigration offences.

    The source hinted that some of the 47 returnees either entered the European countries through fake documents, illegal channels while others overstayed in the countries after the expiration of their visiting visas.

    On arrival, the officials of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) at the airport profiled the deportees. Those with criminal offences were handed over to police .

    The source said: “Nigerians are nowadays regularly deported from different countries including some African countries. The rate is very alarming and another batch of Nigerians may be deported next week for same offences.”

    In February, 43 Nigerians were returned into the country from three European countries; Germany, Belgium and Italy.

  • 97 Nigerians deported from South Africa

    97 Nigerians deported from South Africa

    Ninety seven Nigerians were yesterday deported from the Republic of South Africa .
    According to Immigration sources, they were brought back for committing civil and criminal offences.
    A source at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport said six of the deportees were returned into the country for drug offences; 10 were arrested and deported for criminal offences while others allegedly committed immigration offences.
    They were brought back on Monday night aboard a chartered aircraft with the registration number GBB710 from Johannesburg.
    They were 95 men and two women.
    Those deported for drug and criminal offences were handed over to the police while others with civil cases were left to go home after a profiling by the officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

  • 43 Nigerians deported from Europe

    No fewer than 43 Nigerians were on Thursday deported from Italy, Germany and Belgium, for committing various offences.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos at about 8.40 p.m.

    The deportees, who are all male, were brought back with a chartered Hifly aircraft with registration number CS-TQW, amidst tight security.

    Alhaji Muhammad Sani Sidi, the Director-General, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), confirmed the development to NAN.

    He said 33 of the deportees were from Italy, while the other seven and another three were deported from Germany and Italy, respectively.

    Sidi, represented by by Dr Onimode Bandele, the Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, NEMA, said NEMA and other sister agencies were at the airport to receive the deportees.

    “They were deported for committing various offences in their host countries and as you can see, our agencies are here to do the needful.

    “As a responsible government, we cannot just leave our citizens to enter the country without giving them a good welcome and assisting them to get back to their families,” he said.

    Sidi advised Nigerians to stay in the country and develop it together.

    He said some stipends would be given to the deportees to facilitate their transportation to their various destinations.

    NAN reports that other agencies who were at the airport to receive the deportees included officials of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, the Nigerian Police Force and the Nigeria Immigration Service. (NAN)