The search for better living conditions, job opportunities and an assured future largely drove many Nigerians to the United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, and several countries in Africa, Asia and Europe among other continents.  

Though Nigerian nationals are in several parts of the world, migration is not exclusive to Nigeria as nationals of many countries across the world also leave their homelands in search of the proverbial greener pastures.  

However, the choice countries of these migrants are apparently overburdened especially due to criminal acts and abuse of immigration laws. Thus, some of these countries including the U.S., UK and Canada tightened immigration rules and hunted overstayers and other migrant offenders. Among the foreign nationals entrapped in failed asylum claims, criminal convictions and immigration violations are Nigerians deported to Nigeria this year after years of living abroad.

The Peoples Gazette reviews these countries and the deportations made so far this year.

Germany

Germany deported 137 Nigerians in five batches between February and June 2026. Twenty-seven Nigerians were deported in February, 37 in March, 24 in April, another 23 in May and the final batch of 26 in June, according to data obtained from the Deportees Emergency Reception and Support (DERS) Team and Refugees4Refugees.

“On the Nigerian part, the fact that the government continues to turn blind eyes on this issue has rendered the country porous as a deportation clearing house for black Africans,” Refugees4refugees said in a statement in March.

The figures marked an increase in the number of Nigerians repatriated by Germany compared with previous periods, according to the organisation’s data.

Ireland

The Irish minister for justice, home affairs and migration Jim O’Callaghan on July 28 confirmed the deportation of six Nigerians, five of whom were facing 35 criminal charges.

“This was an important operation to remove people involved in criminality from Ireland,” noted the state minister for migration, Colm Brophy. The deportees were male aged between 25 and 40 years who were placed on a chartered flight first to Rome before joining another flight to Nigeria. It cost the Irish government €76,895 (VAT exclusive) to facilitate the Nigerians’ deportation.

“The cost for the provision of the aircraft for this operation is €76,895 (ex VAT) for a single flight,” a statement said in July.

Canada

About 1,674 Nigerians were deported from Canada over the past six years for various immigration violations, including visa overstays and failed asylum applications.

Findings from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) showed that 438 Nigerians were removed in 2025, while another 205 were deported in the first half of 2026. In 2025 alone, the Canadian government okayed the deportation of 366 Nigerians between January and October. By June 2026, the figures had risen to 743, placing Nigeria among the countries with the highest number of deportees and the only African country among the top 10 nations, according to CBSA data.

Ghana

The Ghanaian government deported 42 Nigerians from the Ashanti Region in December 2025 after a court linked them to prostitution and other criminal offences. The deportations followed convictions, with Ghana’s immigration System facilitating the Nigerians’ expulsion from the country.

U.S.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security on July 8 published a list of what it described as the “worst of the worst” criminal offenders, including 124 Nigerians scheduled for deportation.

The Nigerians, whose photographs were published as part of the criminal register, were accused or convicted of offences ranging from sexual abuse, money laundering and internet fraud popularly called Yahoo Yahoo. The Peoples Gazette also exclusively obtained a list of over 4,000 Nigerians incarcerated in U.S. prisons over convictions largely linked to multimillion-dollar fraud schemes. Recall that some were deported and dumped in Ghana based on a third-country deportation agreement between the West African country and the U.S.

UK

The United Kingdom signed a migration partnership with the Nigerian government in March shortly after President Bola Tinubu paid a two-day state visit to the UK. The agreement was expanded to cover Nigerians who lack basic travel documents, including passports. Under the arrangement, the Bola Tinubu administration will recognise UK-issued letters in lieu of official Nigerian passports to facilitate the return of Nigerians due for removal but without documentation.

The agreement is projected to affect thousands of convicted Nigerians or those living illegally in the UK. In October 2024, the UK Home Office said it removed 44 Nigerians and Ghanaians staying illegally in the country.

South Africa

The evacuations of some Nigerians from South Africa this year are mostly due to xenophobic attacks. The country recorded gross xenophobic attacks against other African nationals from Ghana, Nigeria, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Ethiopia and Lesotho among others; with some South Africans accusing Nigerians of trafficking cocaine, methamphetamine and other hard drugs into the rainbow country.

The South African xenophobes under the March & March group led by an activist and former radio presenter, Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma, embarked on violent protests, resulting in attacks on Nigerian-owned businesses in the country. Also, the civil and anti-immigrant group gave the named Africans a June 30, 2026, deadline to depart the country. The unrest prompted governments of the affected countries to evacuate their nationals including 1,490 Nigerians in a multi-agency operation endorsed by the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government.

Way forward

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, Kimiebi Ebienfa, told The Gazette that Nigeria cannot protect citizens who willfully violate the laws of their host countries.

He said the government could only intervene in instances of human rights abuse, adding that in cases of overstayers or criminal convictions, the immigrant would have to face the consequences of their actions. He explained that the same law applies to foreigners in Nigeria.

“Just like foreigners coming to Nigeria and overstaying their visas, it is the responsibility of our immigration to fish them out, hand them over to necessary security agencies to deal with them which means either they will pay a fine or exit the country,” said Mr Ebienfa. “That is a normal procedure. It carries no implications for those living legally in those countries.”

He urged Nigerians living abroad to obey the rules and regulations of their host countries.