Latest news with #YusufTuggar
Russia Today
5 days 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.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Trump administration has floated deporting third-party nationals to Africa. Here's what we know
Liberia's President, Joseph Boakai, left, and Nigeria Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, right, pose for a photo, prior to the start of the ECOWAS meeting, in Abuja, Nigeria, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Olamikan Gbemiga) DAKAR, Senegal — South Sudan has accepted eight third-country deportees from the U.S. and Rwanda says it's in talk with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on a similar deal, while Nigeria says it's rejecting pressure to do the same. Although few details are known, these initiatives in Africa mark an expansion in U.S. efforts to deport people to countries other than their own. The United States has sent hundreds of Venezuelans and others to Costa Rica, El Salvador and Panama but has yet to announce any major deals with governments in Africa, Asia or Europe. While proponents see such programs as a way of deterring what they describe as unmanageable levels of migration, human rights advocates have raised concerns over sending migrants to countries where they have no ties or that may have a history of rights violations. Last year, U.K. Supreme Court ruled that a similar plan to deport rejected asylum-seekers to Rwanda was illegal. Trump meets with West African leaders Earlier this week, Trump held a summit with five West African leaders in the White House, which highlighted the new transactional U.S. policy towards the continent. Trump discussed migration with the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon, including the need for countries to accept the return of their nationals who do not have the right to stay in the U.S., as well as the possibility of accepting deported nationals of third countries. U.S. border tsar Tom Homan told the media Friday that the Trump administration hopes to forge deals with 'many countries' to accept deported migrants. 'If there is a significant public threat or national security threat — there's one thing for sure — they're not walking the streets of this country. We'll find a third, safe nation to send them to, and we're doing it," he said. What African leaders are saying Liberian President Joseph Boakai told media in Liberia on Friday that third-country nationals were discussed but that Trump had not directly asked Liberia to accept such deportees. 'They're not forcing anybody, but they want us to know that this is the concern they have, and they are asking how can we contribute, how can we help?' he said. President Umaro Sissoco Embaló of Guinea Bissau said Trump discussed the topic during the summit, but did not specifically ask for the African nations to agree to accept deportees. Other West African governments did not reply to a request for comment. Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yussuf Tuggar, meanwhile, said such conversations were being held between U.S. representatives and several African countries, though he declined provide details. He said late Thursday that Nigeria would not bow to what he described as pressure to accept third-country deportees, saying the country had enough problems of its own. What's in it for African countries Experts say some African countries may seek to facilitate U.S. deportation programs in order to earn good will in negotiations over tariffs, cuts in U.S. aid or visa restrictions that have hit several African countries in recent months. Beverly Ochieng, an analyst at the security consulting firm Control Risks, said countries may want to reach a migrant deal to avoid a situation 'where they lose access to the U.S. economy or economic initiatives and bilateral relations.' Those factors are especially important, 'in light of the withdrawal of developmental aid,' Ochieng told The Associated Press. What has been done so far So far, the only African country to accept third-country deportees from the U.S. has been South Sudan, which accepted eight deportees with criminal convictions, only one of whom was from South Sudan. It is unclear what deal may have been struck between the two countries. The South Sudanese Foreign Ministry has declined to answer questions. Alan Boswell, the Horn of Africa program director at the International Crisis Group think tank, said the South Sudan would have 'a number of reasons to want to placate a Trump administration, be that avoiding visa bans, warding off more sanctions against its elite, or generally trying to curry favor.' The decision has drawn criticism from South Sudanese civil society and some members of government. 'South Sudan is not a dumping ground for criminals,' said Edmund Yakani, a prominent civil society leader in the country. Homan, the U.S. border tsar, said Friday he was unsure of the situation of the eight men, saying they were no longer in U.S. custody. Rwanda's foreign minister told the AP last month that talks were under way with the U.S. about a potential agreement to host deported migrants, without providing details. The U.S. State Department declined to comment on a potential deal. Rights groups have long criticized Rwanda for their human rights record, especially the deaths in Rwandan custody of some perceived government critics. The U.K. struck a deal with Rwanda in 2022 to send migrants who arrive in the U.K. as stowaways or in boats to the East African country, where their asylum claims would be processed and, if successful, they would stay. But the plan was stalled by legal challenges and criticized by human rights groups. ___ Monika Pronczuk, The Associated Press
Irish Times
6 days ago
- 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
Daily Maverick
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Nigeria says US pressuring Africa to accept Venezuelan deportees
President Donald Trump's administration this week asked five African presidents visiting the White House to take in migrants from other countries when deported by the U.S., two officials familiar with the discussions told Reuters. Yusuf Tuggar, the Nigerian foreign minister, told local Channels TV late on Thursday that Nigeria could not accept that. 'You have to also bear in mind that the U.S. is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the U.S., some straight out of prison,' he said from Brazil where he was at a BRICS summit. 'It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own,' noting his nation's 230 million strong population. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. Since returning to office in January, Trump has been pressing to speed up deportations, including by sending migrants to third countries when there are problems or delays over sending them to their home nations. This week, he hosted the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania and Gabon at the White House. According to a U.S. and a Liberian official, he presented the plan for African countries to take in migrants from other countries when they are deported by the U.S. The Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday that an internal State Department document sent to the African governments before the meeting called on them to agree to the 'dignified, safe, and timely transfer from the United States' of third country nationals.
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
U.S. counters Nigeria's claims linking visa policy to BRICS, illegal migrant deportations
The United States has dismissed speculation that its recent reduction in visa validity for most Nigerian applicants is politically motivated or connected to Nigeria's foreign policy positions, including its resistance to U.S. deportation programs or perceived affiliations with global alliances such as BRICS. The United States denies allegations that reducing visa validity for Nigerian applicants is politically motivated. Nigerian officials criticized the policy, linking it to external pressures like deportation agreements and geopolitical alignments. The U.S. clarified that the changes are part of a global review to enhance visa system security, unrelated to BRICS affiliations or deportation issues. The clarification follows growing accusations from the Nigerian government, which claimed the recent visa restrictions were a response to its refusal to accept undocumented migrants, particularly Venezuelans, from the United States. Nigeria's Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, criticized the move, stating that the country is not in a position to manage external migration burdens at this time. ' It would be difficult for countries like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own; we cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria. We already have 230 million people, ' Tuggar said. Initially, the visa restriction, part of broader policy changes affecting several African nations, was widely speculated to be linked to their growing alignment with BRICS. President Donald Trump had recently threatened tariff hikes on countries he accused of supporting BRICS in ways that could undermine U.S. trade policies. Taken together, the visa restrictions and trade threats were seen by some analysts as part of a broader U.S. effort to push back against what Washington views as an emerging multipolar alliance, one that includes a rising Africa seeking to redefine its global role. U.S. govt clarifies intent In a statement issued via its official X page, the U.S. Mission clarified that the recent reduction in visa validity for Nigerian applicants is part of a broader, ongoing global review of how countries utilize U.S. visas. ' 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.
