Nigeria Rejects US Pressure to Accept Venezuelan Deportees

The Government of Nigeria has firmly rejected pressure from the administration of President Donald Trump to accept Venezuelan deportees and prisoners. Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar stated that Nigeria cannot accommodate these individuals due to domestic challenges and a population exceeding 230 million. Former Senator Shehu Sani supported this stance, arguing that while Nigerian prisoners in the U.S. should be returned home, there should be no space for Venezuelan nationals.

This diplomatic friction coincides with a broader U.S. effort to establish third-country destinations for migrants. During a White House summit on July 9, 2025, President Trump urged leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania, and Senegal to accept migrants when their home countries refuse them. While some U.S. officials suggested Liberia was preparing to house migrants in Monrovia, Liberian Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti denied such discussions. Guinea-Bissau's President Umaro Sissoco Embaló also rejected the proposal, stating his country's policy does not accept non-citizens.

Nigeria alleges that the U.S. is using coercive measures to force compliance. Minister Tuggar linked a new 10 percent tariff on Nigerian exports and strict new visa restrictions for citizens of Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Cameroon to the deportation dispute. While the U.S. embassy in Abuja attributed visa curbs to security benchmarks, Nigerian officials view them as retaliation. Meanwhile, the U.S. has already deported eight third-country nationals to South Sudan via Djibouti, and Rwanda has engaged in early talks with Washington regarding similar arrangements.