More than 100 Nigerians have been listed for possible deportation by United States immigration authorities as part of a large scale enforcement operation targeting individuals accused of violating immigration rules.
The United States Department of Homeland Security disclosed that 110 Nigerians are among 355 West African nationals identified under its West Africa Operations Watch programme. The agency also released the names and photographs of those included in the operation.
Nigeria recorded the highest number of individuals on the list, followed by Liberia with 94 persons. Ghana accounted for 30, while Senegal had 19. The list also includes nationals from several other West and Central African countries, including Cameroon, Gambia, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Niger, Guinea, Togo and Mali.
According to the department, those affected were found to have breached various immigration regulations. The alleged offences range from overstaying approved visas to unlawful entry into the United States and failure to comply with residency requirements.
Officials described the exercise as a coordinated immigration enforcement effort conducted across several states in the country. The operation forms part of ongoing measures by US authorities to identify and remove individuals who are considered to be in violation of immigration laws.
The development has drawn attention across the region, particularly in Nigeria, given the large number of citizens included in the latest immigration enforcement action.
