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Russia Today
12-07-2025
- 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.
Irish Times
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
US pushing African countries to take in Venezuelan deportees, Nigeria says
The US government has pushed African countries to accept Venezuelan deportees, including some newly released from prison, Nigeria 's foreign minister has said. Yusuf Tuggar said the Trump administration had put 'considerable pressure' on countries to accept the deportees, but warned that it would be 'difficult' for Nigeria to accommodate any. 'The US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison,' Mr Tuggar told Nigerian broadcaster Channels TV. 'It would be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria ... we have enough problems of our own ... for crying out loud,' he added. Mr Tuggar did not say on which countries the US had applied pressure, but Mr Trump hosted five African leaders at the White House this week. [ ICE, the drug cartel and human punching bags - the extraordinary fall of a Mexican world boxing champion Opens in new window ] The White House has been approached for comment. The leaders of Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal met the US president for a televised lunch on Wednesday, which focused on trade and investment opportunities. At the event, Mr Trump said he also hoped to 'make progress on ... safe, third-country agreements' for deported migrants. Liberia's foreign minister on Thursday told the BBC his country had not had any discussions with the US about accepting 'deportees or criminals'. The Trump administration has launched an aggressive crackdown on immigration since returning to power, and has promised to launch the biggest mass deportation of undocumented migrants in US history. The US supreme court last month paved the way for the US government to deport migrants to so-called 'third countries' that were willing to accept them, rather than their own countries. Venezuela , led by the authoritarian Nicolás Maduro , has a difficult relationship with the US and has in the past refused to accept the forced return of its own citizens. Migration experts say other countries also at times refuse to accept their citizens deported from the US, as that might signal subservience to Washington. This week, eight US deportees arrived in South Sudan . Only one of the eight is a citizen of the country, with the rest reported to be from Asia and Latin America. Mr Trump has promised mass deportations while implementing measures including seeking to limit birthright citizenship and declaring a national emergency at the US-Mexico border. In March the US government sent hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, whose president Nayib Bukele agreed to hold them in the country's prisons. Since Mr Trump re-entered the White House in January, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement has deported more than 200,000 people in a nationwide sweep that has triggered huge protests in more than a dozen large US cities. - Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Why Trump wan deport migrants to Nigeria plus oda oda third world kontris - and if e do am?
Nigeria don accuse di US of pressuring African kontris to take in Venezuelan deportees. Di West African kontri minister of foreign affairs Yusuf Tuggur on Channels TV on Thursday, 10 July claim say, di US goment dey pressure Nigeria to accept 300 Venezuelan deportees into di kontri, as e suggest say di recent visa restrictions on Nigerian travellers by di US no be "reciprocal" but pressure tactic. "Di US dey mount considerable pressure on African kontris to accept Venezuelans wey dem wan deport from di US, some of dem na straight out of prison," Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar tok. Dis dey come as international media report say Oga Trump on Wednesday, 9 July ask di presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon wey dey for US for official visits to take in illegal migrants from oda kontris. Oga Tuggar don tok say Nigeria "no go be dumping ground for Venezuelan prisoners deported from di US". "We get enough problems of our own; we no fit accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already get 230 million pipo," e tok. Earlier dis week, di US Department of State tok say part of a "global reciprocity realignment", nearly all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas dem dey issue to citizens of Nigeria, Ghana, Cameroon and Ethiopia, go now be single-entry and valid for only three months. Why Oga Trump dey deport migrants from di US go third kontris One cornerstone of US President Donald Trump immigration policy na to remove unlawful migrants comot di kontri plus di promise of "mass deportations". And since e take office on 20 January, Oga Trump don announce plenty immigration-related executive orders, wey give way for widespread effort to crack down on undocumented migrants for di US. In more dan 21 actions, Trump don move to overhaul parts of di US immigration system, wey include how dem dey process and deport migrants from di US. According to one New York Times review of U.S. government documents, di administration don ask and dem dey plan to ask nearly sixty kontris to take deportees wey no be dia citizens. Many of these kontris, most of which be Africa, dey subject to one new full or partial travel ban to di United States, or dem dey considered for one. Reports also say Oga Trump bin ask di five African presidents, di presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon – wey dey America for official visits – to take in illegal migrants from oda kontris. US Solicitor General John Sauer say di goment no dey fit deport violent criminal migrants go dia homelands as those kontris dey refuse to accept dem, which e say allow dem to stay for di US "victimising law-abiding Americans". Di US get right to deport migrants go third kontris? For June, US Supreme Court bin clear way for President Donald Trump administration to resume deportations of migrants to oda kontris wey no be dia own kontri. By 6-3, di justices bin reverse one lower court order wey require di govment to give migrants "meaningful opportunity" to tell officials di risks dem fit face if dem deport dem go third kontri. Di case bin involve eight migrants from Myanmar, South Sudan, Cuba, Mexico, Laos and Vietnam, wey dem deport for May on one plane wey dey go for South Sudan. Di Trump administration bin tok say dem be "di worst of di worst". Di Supreme Court bin allow Trump to end Temporary Protected Status for Venezuelan nationals, wey affect about 350,000 migrants. For anoda ruling for May, di justices say di president fit temporarily pause one humanitarian programme wey allow nearly half a million migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela to stay for di US for two years. Di Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for statement say wit dis decision, DHS go finally fit exercise dia undisputed authority to deport criminal illegal aliens–wey dia home kontri reject go third countries wey don agree to accept dem. Third kontris US dey reason to send deportees go and di once wey don accept deported migrants Nigeria Nigeria goment don confam say dem dey face pressure from US to accept deported migrants from Venezuela. Di kontri foreign minister Yusuf Tuggar wey announce dis informate tok say Nigeria get "enough problems" of dia own and no go host foreign prisoners from di US. Di minister add say Nigeria no go bow to pressure from di Trump administration to accept Venezuelan deportees from America. Liberia According to reports, Liberia fit dey consider US proposal to accept pipo wey di America deport, including criminals. Reports say Liberia wey get close historical links to America, dey part of one proposed list of kontris wey di US don appraoch. South Sudan South Sudan bin take in eight convicted deportees from di US on 5 July, but only one was South Sudanese. Di rest of dem na citizens of Myanmar, Cuba, Vietnam, Laos and Mexico. Pipo see di decision as attempt to soothe Washington sake of di punitive travel restrictions dem impose afta Juba refuse to receive South Sudanese deported from di US. Rwanda Rwanda goment and Trump administration dey discuss details about a potential agreement for Kigali to accept deportees from di U.S. wey include Africans and oda non-Rwandan nationals, BBC partner for US CBS News learn. Decisions on potential financial compensation for taking in di deportees plus oda details still dey ground according to one Rwandan official, wey confam am to CBS News. CBS News report say one US official and one Rwandan official don confam say active toks dey about sending third-country deportees from America go di east African nation. During one televised Cabinet meeting event for May, Secretary of State Marco Rubio bin say dem dey actively look for oda kontris to take in migrants expelled from di US. Na Washington Post bin first report di Rwanda arrangements, wey also cite one work by independent journalist Marisa Kabas, she bin discover one recent deportation of one Iraqi national from di US to Rwanda. Costa Rica For February, Costa Rica bin announce say dem go receive migrants from oda kontris wey di United States dey deport afta one deal wey di two kontris strike. "Di Government of Costa Rica don agree to collabo wit di United States in di repatriation of 200 illegal immigrants to dia kontri," di Costa Rican president office bin tok for statement, and add say "these pipo originate from ... Central Asia and India." Among di deportees na more dan 80 children, di Costa Rica goment bin shelter dem for di Temporary Migrant Care Centre (Catem), south of di capital, San José. Panama For February 2025, di Trump administration bin deport non-Panamanian migrants from US custody to Panama. Dem bin deport more dan 200 migrants from India, China, Uzbekistan, Iran, Vietnam, Turkey, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka go di kontri. According to one MOU wey di two kontris sign, di US goment go provide approximately $14 million give di government of Panama to deport or expel illegal migrants wey no get legal grounds to remain for dia kontri.
CTV News
25-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
ADVERTISEMENT Watch 'We need to know where the money's coming from': Conservative on 5 per cent defence spending pledge Conservative defence critic James Bezan discusses Canada's pledge to spend 5 per cent of the GDP on defence by 2035 and the pressure from the U.S.
Watch Conservative defence critic James Bezan discusses Canada's pledge to spend 5 per cent of the GDP on defence by 2035 and the pressure from the U.S.
The Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Denmark blasts ‘unacceptable' pressure from Trump over Greenland
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has asserted that Denmark will not succumb to "unacceptable" pressure from the United States regarding control of semi-autonomous Greenland, emphasising the importance of Greenlanders' right to self-determination. President Donald Trump has expressed interest in the United States acquiring the strategically important, mineral-rich Arctic island for national and international security reasons, even suggesting the potential use of force. Frederiksen, in a National Day speech, stated, "The world order we've built through generations is being challenged like never before." She added, "In recent months Greenland and Denmark have been subjected to unacceptable pressure from our closest ally," alluding to the United States. US Vice President JD Vance visited the island in March, criticising Denmark, a fellow NATO member, for its handling of Greenland's safety. Vance proposed that the United States could provide better protection for the territory. Vance's visit occurred after the Demokraatit party's election victory in Greenland. The party advocates for a gradual approach to independence, differing from other parties that propose a more rapid departure. Leaders of Denmark and Greenland have said only Greenlanders can decide the territory's future, and the Danish constitution gives the island the right to seek independence. Fundamental principles in the transatlantic relationship such as national sovereignty, the respect for borders and people's right to self-determination are now at stake, Frederiksen said. "But we don't bend. We Danes are not like that," she added. Denmark's King Frederik, who is popular in Greenland, visited the island in late April in a show of unity amid the diplomatic stand-off with Trump. A 1951 agreement between the United States and Denmark gives the US the right to construct military bases in Greenland as long as Denmark and Greenland are notified. The island, whose capital Nuuk is closer to New York than Copenhagen, boasts mineral, oil and natural gas wealth, but development has been slow and the mining sector has seen very limited US investment.
