3 days after Ekweremadu’s attack, German government deports new batch of Nigerian migrants

The German government has deported a new batch of Nigerian migrants barely 48 hours after the attack on former Deputy President of the Senate Ike Ekweremadu, by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).  

According to reports, the migrants left Frankfurt Airport at 8 a.m. on Monday, August 19th and are expected to land in Nigeria’s Murtala Mohammed International Airport between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. The number of migrants deported was not ascertained as at the time of this report, it was however, gathered that they were picked randomly from different accommodation centres.

Last month two batches of Nigerians were sent back home from the European country.

“The flight will be from Frankfurt on Monday. For those who have been given the information, the plane will take off by 8 a.m. and arrive in Nigeria between 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Those who will be deported will be picked randomly from their different accommodation centres from 3 a.m. till 5 a.m. in different regions and conveyed to a central place and finally to Frankfurt Airport,” the Co-ordination Activist for Network Refugees 4Refugees, a political platform for refugees and migrant self-organisation based in Stuttgart, Germany, Rex Osa, told The Nation.

Osa added, “when their asylum application is already expired, they are obligated to leave the country. For those who don’t leave voluntarily, they will be given a what is I can translate in English to mean toleration status. This status is not a resident title; it is to show that the person is still there because the deportation is hindered because of one reason or the other.  

“These people are picked up early in the morning without expecting the police. Some would be picked up from work also. When the police arrive in their rooms, they would be allowed to pack things not more than say 64 kilos. The police will be standing to make sure the person does not escape.”

The activist urged the federal government to come to the aid of the victims as many of them are coming with a myriad of challenges.  “Among these people are many sick people. Nigeria should be expecting a lot of people who have psychological problems, and people with spinal cord problems leading to paralysis.”