Nigeria cannot take Venezuelan deportees from US, says Yusuf Tuggar

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<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/f4de/live/1a0efd40-5e2b-11f0-bbf2-09f80948283f.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Anadolu via Getty Images Nigeria's Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar in Russia in 2024." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Anadolu by way of Getty Photos "We have already got over 230 million individuals," says Yusuf Tuggar

Nigeria won't bow to strain from the Trump administration to just accept Venezuelan deportees or third-country prisoners from the US, overseas minister Yusuf Tuggar has vowed, quoting Nineties American rappers Public Enemy to make his level.

"Within the phrases of the well-known US rap group Public Enemy... You may bear in mind a line from Flava Flav - a member of the group - who mentioned: 'Flava Flav has issues of his personal. I can not do nothin' for you, man', " he mentioned in an interview with privately owned Channels TV.

"We have already got over 230 million individuals," the minister mentioned.

His feedback comply with threats from Washington to limit visas and hike tariff on international locations who don't adjust to its deportation coverage.

"It is going to be unfair for Nigeria to just accept 300 Venezuelan deportees," he mentioned, suggesting that the latest visa curbs on Nigerian travellers by the US was not "reciprocal" however a strain tactic.

"You can be the identical particular person that can castigate us if we acquiesce to accepting Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria," he added.

Earlier this week, the US Division of State mentioned as a part of a "world reciprocity realignment", practically all non-immigrant and non-diplomatic visas issued to residents of Nigeria, in addition to these of Cameroon and Ethiopia, would now be single-entry and legitimate for less than three months.

In the meantime, President Donald Trump has threatened to hit international locations which aspect with the insurance policies of the Brics alliance that go towards US pursuits with an additional 10% tariff.

Brics is an alliance of 11 creating nations designed to problem the political and financial energy of the West. Final 12 months, the record of Brics members expanded past the unique group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa to incorporate Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Nigeria shouldn't be a full member of Brics however grew to become its ninth companion nation again in January.

Mr Tuggar mentioned the specter of tariff hikes didn't "essentially must do with us taking part in Brics.

"It's important to additionally keep in mind that the US is mounting appreciable strain on African international locations to just accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of jail," he added.

"It is going to be tough for a rustic like Nigeria to just accept Venezuelans prisoners into Nigeria. Now we have sufficient issues of our personal, we can not settle for Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud," he concluded.

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/796e/live/fb599eb0-5e29-11f0-a40e-a1af2950b220.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Los Angeles Times via Getty Image People protest against immigration raids earlier this month." class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Los Angeles Instances by way of Getty Picture There may be an outcry within the US at large-scale immigration raids

As a substitute, he mentioned Nigeria was wanting "to do offers with the US" as a result of the nation has a whole lot of gasoline, important minerals and uncommon earths wanted by American tech firms.

When additional requested what Nigeria was doing to achieve a diplomatic resolution, the minister mentioned the nation was discussing with the US and resolving variations.

Mr Tuggar's declare comes after the Wall Road Journal quoted inside paperwork and sources as saying the Trump administration was pushing the leaders of Liberia, Senegal, Mauritania, Gabon and Guinea-Bissau to just accept migrants deported by the US whose house international locations refuse them or are sluggish to take them again.

The newspaper says that, previous to their White Home summit on Wednesday, the US authorities had already despatched requests asking all 5 international locations to just accept migrants expelled from the US - a technique the paper described as an "aggressive" overlap between the Trump administration's deportation marketing campaign and its overseas coverage".

It's not clear if any of the 5 West African nations accepted the requests.

Liberia's Overseas Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti denied any such involvement with Washington, telling the BBC's Newsday programme on Thursday:

"Now we have not had discussions about deportees or criminals coming to Liberia."

Nonetheless, Trump appeared to allude to the proposal in the course of the assembly with the 5 leaders.

"I hope we will carry down the excessive charges of individuals overstaying visas, and likewise make progress on the secure, third-country agreements," he mentioned throughout opening remarks.

Earlier this month, the US deported eight individuals to South Sudan following a authorized battle that noticed them diverted to Djibouti for a number of weeks.

At the very least 4 different African international locations have reportedly been courted by the US to absorb deportees. They're Benin, Eswatini, Libya and Rwanda.

Extra Nigeria tales from the BBC: <img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/0a19/live/7c722dc0-089d-11ef-b9d8-4f52aebe147d.jpg.webp" loading="lazy" alt="Getty Images/BBC A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa" class="sc-d1200759-0 dvfjxj"/> Getty Photos/BBC [ad_2] Source link