While exact figures on the number of Nigerians impacted remain unclear, it is evident that many Nigerian migrants are among those affected by Algeria’s intensified immigration enforcement. This crackdown underscores the ongoing challenges faced by migrants from West African countries, as they navigate stringent immigration policies and confront growing human rights concerns.
Algiers – In a recent wave of immigration crackdowns, 40 Nigerian nationals have been deported from Algeria, with many now seeking to avoid arrest by hiding in fear.
The deportees, comprising 37 men and three women, arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on February 4, 2025, aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK623 at 8:10 pm, according to an official signal obtained by SaharaReporters.
Sources disclosed to SaharaReporters that numerous Nigerians currently residing in Algeria are going into hiding to evade detection and deportation. Among the deportees identified were Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kano State, Sani Adamu from Katsina State, and Barau Muazu from Kano State.
The government of Algeria has significantly ramped up efforts to combat illegal immigration, resulting in a notable increase in the deportation of migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigerians.
The crackdown has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, which have raised alarms over the allegations of racial profiling and the severe conditions faced by deported individuals. The deportations, which are part of a broader strategy to control undocumented immigration, have included large numbers of sub-Saharan migrants in recent years. In 2017, Amnesty International reported over 2,000 expulsions over a three-week period, with widespread accusations of racial discrimination during arrests.
A more recent report from the NGO Alarme Phone Sahara in 2024 revealed that over 30,000 migrants, including Nigerians, were expelled to Niger, marking a sharp rise in the number of deportations.
The humanitarian implications of these actions are profound. Deportees are often abandoned in desolate desert areas near the Niger border, facing extreme conditions without access to basic resources. Human rights groups, such as the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, have condemned Algeria’s deportation practices as “ruthless and illegal,” highlighting the dire circumstances faced by those expelled, particularly in northern Niger.
While exact figures on the number of Nigerians impacted remain unclear, it is evident that many Nigerian migrants are among those affected by Algeria’s intensified immigration enforcement. This crackdown underscores the ongoing challenges faced by migrants from West African countries, as they navigate stringent immigration policies and confront growing human rights concerns.
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