Bianca Ojukwu Asks U.S Authorities To Apply Human Face While Deporting Nigerians
The Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mrs Bianca Ojukwu, has charged the United States authorities to follow the international accepted guidelines for deportation and not dehumanize Nigerians in their custody awaiting deportation.
She said this in a meeting with the US Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills Jr.. The MinisterI highlighted the Nigerian government’s concern , as well as the emotional and financial toll deportations recently announced by the new Trump Administration are having on Nigerians in the US and their families back home.
According to the Minister, there are about 201 Nigerians currently detained in US immigration centres, and about 85 cleared for deportation.Nigeria she noted, has requested that the forced removals of her citizens from US soil must be in compliance with internationally prescribed guidelines and established protocols in this regard and that a more humane process should be followed.
Nigerians in the US send vital remittances to families in Nigeria, supporting their survival and funding their education.
Ojukwu underscored the fact that these deportations, particularly for individuals with no history of violent crime, should not be traumatic or abrupt and that these individuals should be given ample time to handle their assets rather than just be bundled into planes and repatriated.
“We also expressed concern about the potential suspension of the US’s Drop Box Visa System, which has allowed Nigerians to renew visas without in-person interviews, and we urged the US to clarify its stance and ease the growing anxiety over visa procedures.
“The future of Nigerian students in the US was also high on our discussion agenda, as some 14,000 students are supported by families in Nigeria who fear that US policy changes may affect their children’s education.
“We voiced worries over the ongoing review of USAID programmes, critical to humanitarian efforts in Nigeria, and called for clarity, stressing that any reduction in aid would disproportionately affect vulnerable communities in Nigeria and across Africa”, she noted..
In response, Ambassador Mills assured that the Drop Box Visa System had not been totally suspended, explaining that the US was undergoing a policy review.
Regarding the suspension of USAID, he acknowledged that many NGOs are feeling the pains, but the situation is also being reviewed.”
On the deportation issue, Mills stated that the repatriations would be done with dignity and respect for human rights.
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