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‘Germany, Sweden, Others Deport 170 Nigerians In Nine Months’
In a trend of deportations spanning several European countries, no fewer than 170 Nigerians have been deported from Germany, Sweden, Lithuania and others in nine months in 2023.
This is according to a compilation of reports and data sourced from the websites of migration agencies of the respective countries.
In May, four siblings aged between 11 and 17 and their mothers were deported alongside 35 others to Nigeria.
The return is part of a growing trend of minors being deported from Germany in recent months.
Between late May and July 4, Germany deported 80 Nigerian migrants, including children battling severe health challenges requiring surgeries.
In the following months, 50 others, comprising 48 males and two females, were deported from Switzerland, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Hungary.
This, according to findings, reflects a larger picture of the migration trend and policies enforced across European borders.
Germany, noted for its stringent migration policies, has significantly contributed to this figure.
According to the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees, otherwise known as BAMF, stringent evaluations have been taking place in the past few months to process cases of irregular migrants.
This includes asylum applications, which now take about eight months of processing time for Nigerian applicants.
In March, the German Interior Ministry stated that the duration of regular asylum proceedings in Germany increased to more than a year for Nigerians and that it took an average of 7.6 months for a decision to be made by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees.
According to the ministry, the procedures for people from Nigeria took more than a year, while asylum applicants from Somalia and Ghana would wait for 11 months each for a response.
Similarly, Sweden’s migration agency, Migrationsverket, has indicated a rise in the return of Nigerian nationals as the country tightens its policies on asylum seekers.
Lithuania, too, has been actively participating in this effort, as per statements available on the Lithuanian Migration Department’s website, which showed that the measures were not isolated.
In early June, EU interior ministers took steps that rights groups say abandoned the right to asylum for refugees.
Member states agreed that refugees were to be interned in camps at the EU’s external borders in the future, their asylum applications to be decided in a fast-track procedure and then deported to almost any developing country.
The fast-track procedures, which take 12 weeks, have been criticised for a lack of “thoroughness and fairness”.
The report says only refugees from countries with a recognition rate of, at least, 20per cent throughout the EU can lodge a claim under regular asylum procedures.
Currently, countries with a recognition rate below 20percent include Russia, Pakistan, Egypt, Nigeria and Bangladesh.
Reacting to the development, Executive Director, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation, Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusi, said if individuals assisted to return to Nigeria voluntarily found themselves struggling to reintegrate into society; how much more persons returned home against their will?
She added, “We don’t work with deportations; we work with returns. Even at that, their mind set is already too distorted. So, there is always a need for counselling, not just counselling on the surface; they need trauma-informed care. And that is what we have been advocating.
“I can’t speak for everyone, but I can talk about what we are doing here. There must be reintegration programmes from the receiving country and the sending countries. It is a step-by-step process. There must be a reintegration plan, training and business planning.
“All the people involved need to understand that we are dealing with human beings. Partnership can be government-to-government and some individual organisations directly work with some CSOs in Nigeria.”
Ladipo-Sanusi emphasised that collaboration between European countries and Nigeria could foster better management of migration flows and possibly prevent the need for such deportations in the first place.
She also suggested a multi-faceted approach to address the issue, involving policy reformation, community engagement and international cooperation.
Her organisation, she said, belongs to a vast network partnering with the International Organisation for Migration, the return, readmission and reintegration group under the purview of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants or Internally Displaced Persons.
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Rhoda Iliya, could not be reached for comment as of press time, as calls to her mobile line were not answered.
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The Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has directed his lawyers to withdraw all ongoing defamation lawsuits against several individuals, saying he was moved by counsel during a New Year Mass.
Speaking at the Sacred Heart Parish in Uyo, yesterday, Akpabio said he had filed nearly nine lawsuits against individuals he accused of defaming him.
He said, “I had almost nine cases in court against some individuals who defamed me, who lied against me, who slandered my name.
“But I listened to the priest and suddenly realised he was talking to me, so I hereby direct my solicitor to withdraw all lawsuits against them.”
In 2025, Akpabio had filed several high-profile defamation lawsuits, including one against colleague Senator Natasha Akpoti?Uduaghan.
In late 2025, Akpabio filed a N200 billion defamation lawsuit against her over allegations of sexual harassment, which he denied and urged her to substantiate in court.
Earlier in the year, Akpabio’s wife also filed defamation suits against Akpoti?Uduaghan over claims she said had harmed her family’s reputation.
Relations between the two lawmakers soured after Akpoti?Uduaghan accused Akpabio of influencing her suspension from the Senate in March 2025, following her public allegations of misconduct.
The Senator had previously challenged actions taken against her in court, including a N100 billion defamation suit she filed against Akpabio and other defendants over alleged remarks that she said damaged her reputation.
With yesterday’s announcement, Akpabio has formally ended all pending legal disputes arising from defamation claims, signalling closure to the publicised litigations as the year begins.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that the best form of gratitude Rivers people owe President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for protecting the interest of the State is to galvanize massive support for the President in 2027.
Fubara disclosed this last Monday during the commissioning of Permanent Secretaries Quarters built by his administration at Elimgbu in Obio Akpor Local Government Area of the State.
He said that the State has what it takes to deliver the President during the 2027 general elections.
“We’ve taken a decision,our decision is for the good of Rivers State, our decision is to say thank you for the protection we have from Mr President, our decision is to prove that we have what it takes to deliver Mr President.”
Fubara expressed delight over the completion of the project, stating that the initiative was to provide accommodation, a basic need of life for public servants in the state to improve their productivity.
He explained that lack of effective social welfare was at the root of some incriminating actions that undermine the purpose of governance, noting that the commissioning of the newly built Permanent Secretaries Quarters marks a significant milestone in civil service welfare and institutional development.
“Insecurity begins when individuals are uncertain of what the next hour holds. This situation is especially challenging for family men and women, affecting confidence and decision-making,” he observed.
Fubara emphasized the need for proper maintenance of the facility and urged the beneficiaries to protect the project like a personal property, while directing the State Head of Service to appoint a facility manager to ensure long-term maintenance.
In her remarks, the Special Guest of Honour and Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who unveiled the project, expressed appreciation to the governor and Rivers State for inviting her to commission the project.
She commended Fubara for prioritizing the welfare of Permanent Secretaries who are senior public servants and accounting officers, noting that the project reflects purposeful and visionary leadership, and urged other states to borrow a cue from the Rivers State Governor.
Walson-Jack described the initiative as a strategic investment in staff welfare and institutional continuity which she noted is in line with Renewed Hope Initiative on provision of mass housing and social stability.
“The commissioning of these houses reflect a deliberate commitment to the dignity, welfare, and productivity of senior public servants responsible for policy coordination and service delivery,” she said.
In his goodwill message, the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibode Bashiru, who led a high powered delegation on a visit to the governor, congratulated Rivers people for aligning with the Pan Nigerian political party, assuring that the interest of Rivers State will be duly protected in the APC.
He described President Bola Tinubu as a detribalised Nigerian who anchors his leadership on equity, fairness and justice, adding that the APC will provide a level playing ground for all.
The APC chief scribe also commended Fubara for providing good accommodation for public servants, stating that it will address issues of sabotage, compromise and disloyalty on the part of public servants.
Giving the project description, Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works, Dr. Austin Ezekiel-Hart, said the estate comprises 29 units, including nine standalone duplexes and 20 terrace buildings.
Facilities feature a water treatment plant, synchronized power generators, CCTV and alarm systems, a gym, recreational areas, and green spaces—designed to enhance comfort, performance, and productivity.
Earlier, the Head of the Rivers State Civil Service, Dr Mrs Inyingi Brown, had thanked the governor for his visionary initiative and unwavering commitment to the welfare of Rivers State Civil Servants, and restated the commitment of the State civil servants to the success of Fubara’s administration.
By: Taneh Beemene