Shame: Botswana Deports over 300 Nigerians

In a most shameful development, no fewer than 300 Nigerians living in the Republic of Botswana have been reportedly deported in the past few months, after the authorities refused to renew their permits.

Of course, Botswana is one of the most peaceful countries on the continent and the country also ranks 132 on Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perception Index, making it one of the most corruption-free countries on the continent as well.

Meanwhile, the angry deportees want President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to quickly look into the relations between Botswana and Nigeria in order to ascertain the true conditions of Nigerians living in that country. The returnees, most of whom had lived and worked in the Southern African country, said since the assumption of the current president, General Khama, whose mother was of British origin, Nigerians in that country had been subjected to dehumanising conditions and racial abuse, even when, they claimed, they had been law-abiding and of good behavior.

They believe that that the target of the Khama government had been how to get rid of innocent Nigerians pursuing a just course or doing genuine businesses in the country, claiming that all their efforts to make the Bostwana authorities understand that they were peace-loving and not interested in criminal activities fell on deaf ears as they were only interested in sending them out without any reason.

Source: Vanguard

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Deportation of Nigerians in UK

Recently, media reports were awash with the story of the deportation of about 120 Nigerians by the United Kingdom (UK). The affected Nigerians were said to have been deported by the British immigration authorities on March 19 for non-possession of valid travel documents and work permits, among other required documents.

Most of the forced returnees who were young men and women narrated their harrowing experiences in the UK before they were hurriedly flown home. According to them, they were picked up either at work or on the streets and dragged to the airport to board a cargo flight to Lagos without being allowed to take any of their vital belongings.

But contrary to the initial reports, the UK authorities have clarified that 53 and not 120 Nigerians were deported and that the deportation followed due process. The affected Nigerians were made to face some migration-related panels and went through legal appeals, before their eventual deportation.

This position has also been corroborated by the Nigerian High Commission in London which said that the processes, up to deportation level, were monitored by its senior officials. It also said that those Nigerians were removed from the UK due to the fact that they overstayed their visas or have completed their prison terms.

Furthermore, the deportation of Nigerians from the UK is covered by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Migration Returns signed by both countries a few years back.

Whatever may be the case, the deportation is a warning to those Nigerians that travel out without the required entry documents and work permits. The deportation will serve as a clarion call to the Nigerian authorities to develop the country industrially and halt the increasing exodus of her youths to other climes in search of greener pastures. Nigeria is richly endowed with enough human and material resources to develop all the sectors of the economy and create jobs for its army of unemployed youths.

It is a pity that in spite of the huge resources at our disposal, our leaders have failed woefully to make the country a happy one for its citizens. In fact, the government has a responsibility to open up the productive base of the economy in order to stem the rising tide of youth joblessness which encourages unnecessary migration and brain drain.

If this is done, the craze to travel abroad among Nigerians will be drastically reduced. It is most unfortunate that these youths leave Nigeria without knowing the unpredictable future that awaits them elsewhere.

In fact, experience has shown that some Nigerians outside would have fared better in Nigeria if they had remained in the country. The fact is that there is no country on earth whose streets are paved with gold. In other words, there is no place where people pick money on the streets.

We enjoin Nigerians, especially the youths, to stop the mad rush to travel outside to do menial jobs that ordinarily they would not do at home. The country has enough resources to make it an industrial giant. All that is needed is pragmatic leadership vision that will propel such economic transformation. This is the time to turn the energy of our youths into high productivity. Let those in charge of the economy put their thinking caps and put the Nigerian house in order.

The government should sit up and make the country attractive so that our youths will not have the excuse to be leaving Nigeria en masse. Nigeria is our only country; we should all work to make it better. Leaving our shores in droves to other developed lands will not solve the problem.

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FG demands fair treatment of Nigerian deportees

Federal Government has said it is not against the deportation of Nigerians who have overstayed their welcome abroad, but insists such deportation must be done within the ambit of international law.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb. Olugbenga Ashiru, said this on Tuesday in Abuja while addressing members of the diplomatic corps serving in Nigeria.

He said Nigerians being deported must be treated with dignity and respect.

Ashiru was obviously referring to the deportation of 53 Nigerians from the United Kingdom and another 56 expected from South Africa later this week.

Ashiru said, “Let me state here that the Federal Government is not opposed to the deportation of Nigerians who no longer have the right to remain in the countries from where they are being deported, especially after they might have exhausted all local remedies.

“We however insist that this deportation should be done within the appropriate institutional and legal framework and with dignity and decency.

“While urging Nigerians all over the world to continue to be law-abiding and not abuse the hospitality of their hosts, the government not tolerate maltreatment of Nigerians for no just cause.

“I must emphasise that it is a cardinal principle of Nigeria's Foreign Policy to promote and protect the welfare of Nigerians all over the world.

“We will not abdicate this responsibility to our citizens all over the world and in all circumstances.”

As a sign of its respect for international law on matters of migration, the minister said Nigeria had signed a number of MOUs with some countries on the subject.

Ashiru also frowned upon some missions breaching proper channels of communication with the Nigerian ministries, agencies and departments.

According to him, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains the official channel of communication between government and accredited missions.

He assured the envoys of the ministry's readiness to expedite action on requests made to facilitate their smooth operations in Nigeria.

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Federal Government to retaliate the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African authorities if,,

The Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Abba Moro, has said that the Federal Government would retaliate the deportation of 125 Nigerians by the South African authorities if the deportation was done in bad faith.

The minister made the announcement while speaking with State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan on Monday in Abuja.

125 Nigerians were on March 3, deported from South Africa for allegedly being in possession of fake yellow fever vaccination cards.

The travelers, who arrived in South Africa on March 1, were deported in two flights, 75 of them aboard South African Airways and 50 in Arik Air.

Moro said that government was trying to find out the details of the deportation before appropriate action would be taken.

“At the moment, the information that is available to government is that some Nigerians travelled to South Africa without appropriate travel documents, especially the yellow fever card.

“We are trying to find out the details of the situation.

“I want to assure you on one thing: that Federal Government has the capacity to reciprocate appropriately if it finds out that it is not done in good faith.

“I can assure you that we will react appropriately if it is found that South Africa has taken unfriendly action against Nigeria,” the minister said.

However, Federal Government through the Foreign Affairs Minister, Mr Olugbenga Ashiru, had decried the deportation.

Ashiru had also directed the Nigerian High Commissioner in South Africa to lodge a formal protest over the action of South African immigration officials.

The minister also disclosed that government had signed several joint agreements with neighbouring countries to step up security at the nation’s borders.

He said that the action was taken against the backdrop of terrorist activities in the country and the fact that people were coming from outside the country to perpetrate the acts.

“Last week, we signed with Cameroon, we have such arrangement with Niger and Chad.

“If you don't have any legitimate business doing in Nigeria the immigration service within the level of their own capacity will not allow you to enter Nigeria,” he said.

The minister also denied allegations of not following the ECOWAS protocols in the recent deportation of Chadians and Nigeriens.

He said that the Nigeria Immigration Service had not, at any time, meted unfair treatment to ECOWAS citizens in the country.

“The fact is that we keep insisting that ECOWAS protocol which provides for free movement does not provide for free lunch in the sense that you can just wake up from your bed and say you want to go to any African country.

“You must also come with appropriate documents; there is ECOWAS travel document that the member nations issue out to their citizens.

“If you come to Nigeria without the travel documents, then certainly you have not followed the ECOWAS protocol, then you are illegal alien,” he said.

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Britain deports 61 Nigerians

The United Kingdom on Thursday deported 61 Nigerians, including three minors, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The deportees were flown into Nigeria in the early hours of the day in a chartered aircraft.

Those deported include 47 males and 11 females who were received and screened at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport by the officials from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS).

An immigration source, who pleaded anonymity, said they were deported for immigration-related offences.

Some of the deportees who spoke with NAN alleged that most of them were sent back because their visas have expired.

A deportee, Eniola Adefuja said that her visa had expired since May and she was still in the process of renewing it when she was picked up by the police.

She added that she was not allowed to pick up her personal effects before being flown to Nigeria.

Another deportee who simply identified herself as Juliet, claimed that she was also arrested by the British Immigration officer over expired documents.

“My visa expired and they said I could no longer reside in the UK; that is why I was brought back home,” she said.

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