The United States government has reportedly demanded that Nigeria accept 300,000 Venezuelan deportees as a condition for lifting recent non-immigrant visa restrictions placed on Nigerian citizens.
According to Western Post, the request was made during a closed-door meeting held in Abuja earlier this week between the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Richard Mills, and top Nigerian government officials.
“The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria told Nigerian government officials in a meeting that Nigeria should take 300,000 Venezuelan deported immigrants to get the visa restriction reviewed,” a source familiar with the meeting disclosed.
This development follows the U.S. government’s controversial decision to slash the validity of non-immigrant visas issued to Nigerians—from two years with multiple entries to just three months with a single entry.
In response, the Nigerian presidency expressed strong displeasure over the move, pointing out that Nigeria still offers American citizens a five-year, multiple-entry visa and has made no changes to its policy regarding U.S. nationals.
On Thursday, Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, flatly rejected the deportee demand, saying the country would not be turned into a dumping ground.
He said Nigeria would not bow to what he described as pressure from the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump to absorb migrants unconnected to its regional or geopolitical obligations.
However, in a swift clarification issued Friday via its verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, the U.S. Embassy in Nigeria contradicted the deportation-linked narrative.
“The U.S. Mission Nigeria wishes to address misconceptions about the recent reduction in visa validity for most nonimmigrant U.S. visas in Nigeria and other countries.
“This reduction is not the result of any nation’s stance on third-country deportees, introduction of e-visa policies, or affiliations with groups like BRICS.
“The reduction in validity is part of an ongoing global review of the use of U.S. visas by other countries using technical and security benchmarks to safeguard U.S. immigration systems,” the statement read.
As both sides stick to contrasting explanations, the diplomatic standoff over U.S. visa validity and third-country migrants appears far from over.
