The German government had reportedly proposed a new system of repatriation called ‘Return and Readmission’ aimed at facilitating the smooth return of about at least 30,000 Nigerian migrants who illegally entered the country.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Enugu has said that it repatriated 75 illegal immigrants arrested in different parts of the state.
Leadership reported that the immigrants were majorly nationals from Niger Republic and Cameroun respectively.
Speaking on the development, Dora Amahian, the comptroller of NIS in the state, informed newsmen on Monday, July 23, that the “illegal aliens” were nabbed in a raid carried out by personnel of the command on Friday, July 20, following complaints by members of the public over the immigrants’ alleged criminal activities.
The illegal immigrants from Niger Republic and Cameroun (Photo Credit: Leadership)
Amahian said that the immigrants were sent back to their respective countries on Saturday, July 21 and on Sunday, July 22, after a screening and profiling exercise embarked on by the command.
She said that most of the foreigners relocated to Enugu from Anambra. Amahian said: “Most of them came to Enugu State because they saw it as a safe haven for them. Some of them were said to have involved themselves in violent crime before they were arrested.”
Amahiam further stated that the state command was on the trail of other illegal immigrants who were still in the state. She urged members of the public to help the immigration service with needed intelligence information that could lead to the arrest and repatriation of illegal foreigners still in hiding.
She said: “We want to call on members of the public to always avail us with necessary information that could help us get rid of these illegal immigrants.”
According to reports, some of the immigrants claimed that they have lived in Nigeria for up to 20 years.
However, Amahian stated that while Nigeria would not chase away foreigners from fellow ECOWAS nations, such immigrants have to obtain the necessary papers to be able to reside in the country.
Geoffrey Onyeama, the foreign affairs minister, disclosed this on Tuesday, May 15, when he received the security adviser to the president of Germany, Jan Hecker, and his team in Abuja.
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