110 Nigerians face deportation as US names West Africans targeted in crackdown

• Nigeria recorded the highest number of deportees in West Africa, followed by Liberia, Ghana and Senegal.

• Those listed for removal reportedly have convictions linked to fraud, smuggling and violent crimes.

The United States Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that 110 Nigerians are set to be deported as part of a sweeping immigration crackdown targeting West African nationals, making Nigeria the country with the highest number of deportees in the sub-region.

The figures were published by the DHS under its West Africa Operations Watch initiative, which lists 355 individuals from across West Africa scheduled for removal. Nigeria's 110 accounts for nearly a third of the total, ahead of Liberia with 94, Ghana with 30 and Senegal with 19.

The full breakdown includes 15 Cameroonians, 14 Gambians, 14 Ivorians, 12 Mauritanians, 11 Cape Verdeans, nine Burkinabes, eight Nigeriens, six Guineans, six Togolese, five Malians and one each from Benin and Guinea-Bissau.

Those listed for removal include individuals with prior criminal convictions ranging from fraud and smuggling to violent crimes. 

The DHS has prioritised expedited removal for those with criminal records as part of a broader global immigration enforcement push that has now extended to dozens of countries.

The names and photographs of all 355 individuals have been published on the DHS website.

The US has been using an existing agreement with Ghana as a logistical hub for the West African removals, relying on the ECOWAS free movement protocol to move deportees across the region. 

Those flown into Accra are either transported by bus or repatriated directly to their home countries with embassy assistance.

Nigeria's government, however, have stood their ground. Unlike Sierra Leone and Ghana, which have cooperated with Washington's requests, Abuja has resisted American pressure to accept third-party nationals, non-Nigerians the US wants to deport through Nigeria, citing domestic challenges as its reason.

The West Africa operation is one strand of a much wider crackdown. The current US administration has dramatically expanded immigration enforcement globally, with removal flights now operating across multiple continents simultaneously.

For Nigeria, topping the West African deportation list is unlikely to ease already strained relations tied to its name and reputation globally.

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