Amid an intensified immigration crackdown in Algeria, at least 40 Nigerians have been deported, while many others are reportedly in hiding to evade arrest and forced removal.
Naija News gathered that authorities deported the individuals due to overstayed visas and irregular documentation.
According to an official report obtained by SaharaReporters, the deportees—comprising 37 men and three women—arrived in Abuja on February 4, 2025, at 8:10 p.m. aboard Turkish Airlines flight TK623.
A source familiar with the situation revealed that several Nigerians in Algeria are now living in fear. “Many are in hiding to avoid being arrested and deported,” the source disclosed.
Among those affected are Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kano State, Sani Adamu from Katsina State, and Barau Muazu from Kano State.
Algeria has ramped up efforts to curb illegal immigration, leading to the mass deportation of sub-Saharan African migrants, including Nigerians.
However, human rights groups have criticized these actions, citing concerns over racial profiling and the harsh conditions faced by deportees.
The North African country has a history of expelling sub-Saharan migrants. In 2017, Amnesty International reported that over 2,000 migrants were deported within three weeks, with claims of indiscriminate arrests based on racial profiling.
The trend continued in 2024 when the NGO Alarme Phone Sahara estimated that Algeria had deported over 30,000 migrants to Niger.
Reports indicate that many of these deportees were left stranded in desert regions near the Nigerien border, facing severe hardship and a lack of basic necessities.
While exact figures on the number of Nigerians affected remain unclear, it is evident that many are caught in Algeria’s sweeping immigration crackdown.
