By Mary Onyia
The United States government has concluded plans to deport 124 Nigerian nationals convicted of various criminal offences as part of an intensified immigration enforcement campaign targeting foreign offenders. The affected Nigerians were listed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on its updated “worst-of-the-worst” criminal register, although authorities have yet to announce when the deportations will begin.
According to the DHS, those slated for removal were convicted of offences ranging from fraud and identity theft to drug trafficking, assault, robbery, and other violent crimes. While the agency released the identities of those affected, it withheld details of individual offences and the timeline for their repatriation, saying only that the deportations form part of its ongoing crackdown on criminal immigrants.
The latest update increases the number of Nigerians on the U.S. deportation register to 124, making Nigeria one of the countries with the highest number of nationals facing removal under the current enforcement drive.
Analysts say financial crimes account for a significant proportion of the convictions recorded against those on the list.
The development is expected to draw the attention of Nigerian authorities, who may be required to facilitate the return and reintegration of the deportees upon their arrival. It also underscores Washington’s continued hardline immigration policy, which prioritises the deportation of non-citizens convicted of serious criminal offences as part of broader efforts to strengthen border security and enforce immigration laws.