THE Federal Government has firmly rejected any arrangement with the United States to receive deportees under President Donald Trump’s revived “third-country deportation” policy, stressing that Nigeria will not follow the path of Rwanda, Eswatini, or South Sudan.
Speaking to this newspaper, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa confirmed that Abuja’s position remains unchanged, citing national security and economic implications.
Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar revealed in July that Washington was applying “considerable pressure” on African nations to take in Venezuelan nationals, some directly from U.S. prisons, whose home country refuses to accept them.
“This is unacceptable,” Tuggar said. “It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own, we cannot accept deportees for crying out loud. We already have 230 million people.”
The controversial U.S. policy, reinstated after a Supreme Court ruling in June 2025, allows deportees to be sent to countries other than their own when repatriation is blocked.
Some African nations have agreed to participate, with South Sudan and Eswatini already receiving individuals from countries like Vietnam, Jamaica, and Yemen.
Rwanda has also agreed to accept up to 250 deportees under certain conditions.
The Trump administration has linked compliance with the policy to visa access, threatening sanctions under Section 243(d) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
In recent months, U.S. visa rules for Nigerians have tightened, reducing most non-diplomatic visas to single-entry permits valid for only three months.
International observers note that the U.S. has previously paid other countries to detain deportees, with El Salvador receiving $5 million in March to house over 250 Venezuelans accused of gang ties.
Critics have condemned the deals as shifting America’s prison burden onto nations already facing their own challenges.
Nigeria, however, insists it will not be drawn into such agreements.
“Our priority is safeguarding the country’s security and economic stability,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
