Germany To Deport 14,00 Nigerians.

By Caroline Ameh

German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has announced that Germany is in the final stages of preparations to deport approximately 14,000 Nigerians who have been residing in the country for an extended period. He made this disclosure during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday in Abuja.

The move comes as a response to the Nigerian government’s reluctance to admit individuals lacking the necessary identity documents, leading to around 12,500 Nigerians living in Germany under a condition of tolerance.

Nigeria had consistently been among the top 10 countries of origin for asylum applicants in Germany, although recently, the numbers have started to decline.

The spike in the filing of initial asylum claims by Nigerians in 2023 has raised concerns in Germany. Nearly 14,000 Nigerians may face deportation, with the majority of them lacking the required identification cards.

Nigeria has expressed its willingness to welcome them back, but with a caveat – they must have behaved well and stand to contribute positively to the country. Germany is considering ceasing the 640 million euros in development funding.

During discussions with Nigerian officials including President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the need for collaboration to resolve the deportation issue. He stated, “We are prepared to collaborate to enhance migration,” adding that Germany would be willing to repatriate well-behaved Nigerian nationals.

The President, Bola Tinubu underlined that his administration is ready to allow people to return, especially those who are recognised as fellow citizens and have behaved well.

“Nigeria is prepared to welcome them back “as long as they have behaved well,” but only if they stand to gain something from it. Rather, we ought to cease providing the 640 million euros in development funding.

“If someone is a compatriot and has ‘behaved well,’ we are willing to accept them back.

“We’re prepared to collaborate in order to enhance migration,” he declared.

A key challenge in this situation is that the replacement documents issued by Germany are currently not accepted by Nigerian authorities. Scholz and Tinubu addressed this issue during their discussions.

Chancellor Scholz highlighted the importance of cooperation in improving the overall migration process, saying, “If someone is a compatriot and has behaved well, we are willing to accept them back.”