Latest news with #VenezuelanDeportees
Russia Today
a day ago
- Business
- Russia Today
US pressuring Africa to accept deportees
Nigeria will not yield to pressure from the administration of US President Donald Trump to accept Venezuelan deportees, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar has declared. The senior diplomat told Nigeria's Channels TV on Thursday that Washington's recent visa restrictions and tariff hikes are not reciprocal moves but coercive measures. 'You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prisons,' Tuggar said. He added that, 'It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own. We already have 230 million people.' On Tuesday, the US Department of State announced changes to its 'reciprocal non-immigrant visa policy,' slashing the duration and tightening the conditions for entry into America for most travelers from countries including Cameroon, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Nigeria. 'Effective immediately, most non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria will be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period,' according to a statement published by Washington's mission in Africa's most populous country. Trump also doubled down on his tariff threats during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, warning that any country 'aligned' with 'anti-American policies' through BRICS would face levies. He said members of the economic bloc could pay an additional 10% on goods exported to the US. Nigeria, along with Uganda and seven other countries outside Africa, became a BRICS partner state in January 2025. Nigerian President Bola Tinubu attended the BRICS two-day summit in Brazil on July 6-7. On Trump's tariff threats, Tuggar remarked that they 'may not necessarily have to do with' the country's participation in the BRICS meeting. The minister, however, said Abuja has begun negotiations with Washington over the latest visa curbs targeting Nigerian nationals. Since returning to office in January, Trump has reinstated a series of hardline immigration measures, including the expedited removal of migrants deemed unfit to remain in the US to third countries. Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced it had deported eight 'barbaric criminal illegal aliens' to South Sudan. Earlier in April, the Trump administration revoked all visas issued to South Sudanese passport holders, accusing the landlocked nation of refusing to accept deported nationals. The conflict-torn African country denied the allegation, saying the White House acted based on an 'isolated incident' involving an individual who, according to Juba, was not a South Sudanese national.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Nigeria has 'enough problems' and can't take deportees from US, minister says
Nigeria's foreign minister says the country will not bow to pressure from the Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from the US, following visa curbs and threats of tariff hikes. Yusuf Tuggar told privately-owned Channels TV that Nigeria had "enough problems" of its own and would not host foreign prisoners from the US. "We already have over 230 million people," the minister said. "You will be the same person that will castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria," he added. "It will be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees," he said, suggesting that the recent visa curbs on Nigerian travellers by the US was not "reciprocal" but a pressure tactic. Earlier this week, the US Department of State said as part of a "global reciprocity realignment", nearly all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria, as well as those of Cameroon and Ethiopia, would now be single-entry and valid for only three months. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump has threatened to hit countries which side with the policies of the Brics alliance that go against US interests with an extra 10% tariff. Brics is an alliance of 11 developing nations designed to challenge the political and economic power of the West. They are: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria is not a full member of Brics but it became the ninth partner country of the alliance in January. Mr Tuggar said the threat of tariff hikes did not "necessarily have to do with us participating in Brics. "You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison," he added. "It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelans prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own, we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud," he concluded. Instead, he said Nigeria was looking "to do deals with the US" because the country "possesses" a lot of gas, critical minerals and rare earths needed by American tech companies. When further asked what Nigeria was doing to reach a diplomatic solution, the minister said the country was discussing with the US and resolving differences. Mr Tuggar's claim comes after the Wall Street Journal quoted internal documents and sources as saying the Trump administration was pushing the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau to accept migrants deported by the US whose home countries refuse them or are slow to take them back. Trump also appeared to allude to this during the meeting with the five leaders on Wednesday. "I hope we can bring down the high rates of people overstaying visas, and also make progress on the safe, third-country agreements," he said during opening remarks. Liberia's foreign minister denied receiving such communication from Washington. Six things Trump should know about Liberia after he praised leader's 'good English' Why Trump invited five African leaders to the White House US cuts visa validity for applicants from three African countries Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Focus on Africa This Is Africa
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Nigeria can't take Venezuelan deportees from US, says Yusuf Tuggar
Nigeria's foreign minister says the country will not bow to pressure from the Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from the US, following visa curbs and threats of tariff Tuggar told privately-owned Channels TV that Nigeria had "enough problems" of its own and would not host foreign prisoners from the US."We already have over 230 million people," the minister said."You will be the same person that will castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria," he added. "It will be unfair for Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees," he said, suggesting that the recent visa curbs on Nigerian travellers by the US was not "reciprocal" but a pressure this week, the US Department of State said as part of a "global reciprocity realignment", nearly all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to citizens of Nigeria, as well as those of Cameroon and Ethiopia, would now be single-entry and valid for only three President Donald Trump has threatened to hit countries which side with the policies of the Brics alliance that go against US interests with an extra 10% is an alliance of 11 developing nations designed to challenge the political and economic power of the West. They are: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, as well as Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab is not a full member of Brics but it became the ninth partner country of the alliance in Tuggar said the threat of tariff hikes did not "necessarily have to do with us participating in Brics."You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison," he added."It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelans prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own, we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud," he concluded. Instead, he said Nigeria was looking "to do deals with the US" because the country "possesses" a lot of gas, critical minerals and rare earths needed by American tech further asked what Nigeria was doing to reach a diplomatic solution, the minister said the country was discussing with the US and resolving Tuggar's claim comes after the Wall Street Journal quoted internal documents and sources as saying the Trump administration was pushing the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau to accept migrants deported by the US whose home countries refuse them or are slow to take them also appeared to allude to this during the meeting with the five leaders on Wednesday."I hope we can bring down the high rates of people overstaying visas, and also make progress on the safe, third-country agreements," he said during opening foreign minister denied receiving such communication from Washington. You may also be interested in: Six things Trump should know about Liberia after he praised leader's 'good English'Why Trump invited five African leaders to the White HouseUS cuts visa validity for applicants from three African countries Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
