Nigerian official claims US pressuring Africa to accept deportees
(MENAFN) Nigeria will not bow to pressure from US President Donald Trump’s administration to accept deported Venezuelans, including those released from American prisons, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has stated. In an interview with Channels TV on Thursday, Tuggar criticized Washington’s recent visa restrictions and tariff hikes as coercive rather than reciprocal measures.
Tuggar revealed that the US is actively pressuring African nations to accept Venezuelans deported from America, some directly from incarceration. “It’s unrealistic for Nigeria to take in Venezuelan prisoners. We already face enough challenges with our own population of 230 million,” he said.
On Tuesday, the US State Department introduced changes to its “reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy,” reducing the validity and tightening conditions for travelers from countries such as Nigeria, Ghana, Ethiopia, and Cameroon. For Nigerians, most visas will now be limited to single entry and valid for only three months.
Additionally, Trump reinforced his tariff threats this week, warning that any nation aligned with BRICS or engaging in what he deems “anti-American policies” could face higher duties. He suggested BRICS members might be subject to an extra 10% tariff on exports to the US.
Nigeria became a BRICS partner state in January 2025, alongside Uganda and seven other non-African nations. President Bola Tinubu recently attended the BRICS summit in Brazil on July 6-7. However, Tuggar clarified that the visa restrictions might not necessarily relate to Nigeria’s BRICS participation.
The minister also confirmed that Abuja is currently in talks with Washington to address the new visa limitations imposed on Nigerian citizens.
Since returning to office, Trump has reintroduced strict immigration policies, including fast-tracked deportations to third countries. Last week, the US Department of Homeland Security announced it had deported eight “barbaric criminal illegal aliens” to South Sudan. Earlier, in April, Trump’s administration revoked all visas for South Sudanese passport holders, claiming the country refused to accept deportees — a claim Juba has denied, calling it an overreaction to a single case involving someone they say was not South Sudanese.
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