Nigeria and EU Sign Agreement for Return of Illegal Migrants

The Nigerian government has signed a deal with the European Union (EU) to help return Nigerians living illegally in EU countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this known in a statement on Wednesday.

Talks about this deal have been going on for almost ten years as more Nigerians move to Europe.

Currently, about 260,000 Nigerians live legally in the EU. But a report from the International Organization for Migration recorded 27,234 illegal arrivals of Nigerians in Europe from 2017 to March 2024.

The agreement was signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, and EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner. This deal will help return Nigerians who do not have the right to stay in EU countries.

Ms Odumegwu-Ojukwu stated that the agreement shows Nigeria’s commitment to the welfare and safe return of its citizens.

She also said she believes this deal will help improve cooperation between Nigeria and the EU in areas like education, training, and skills development.

Mr Brunner called the end of the talks an important step in Nigeria-EU relations.

He mentioned that this could lead to cooperation in other areas too.

He pointed out that police cooperation, tackling human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and creating legal ways for migration are areas where both sides need to work together.

“The Readmission Agreement is a key tool that sets up migration cooperation between the EU and Nigeria. It clearly states the responsibilities of both sides to ensure the safety, dignity, and human rights of their citizens during return processes,” the statement said.

Also speaking about the agreement, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said a main goal is to create a legal and beneficial system for managing migration.

He added that the federal government is updating Nigeria’s migration and border management systems using technology and linking national identity databases.

This step, he said, will help authorities confirm the nationality of people being sent back to Nigeria more quickly and accurately.

He listed three groups of people who could be sent back. These are Nigerians with valid travel documents, those who lost their travel documents, and those who traveled without any identification.