LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigeria's government says it will resist pressure from the Trump administration to accept deportees from Venezuela and other third countries.
In an interview with Nigeria's Channels TV on Friday, Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar said the U.S. was pressuring several African nations to accept foreign nationals whom the U.S. wants to deport.
"We already have over 230 million people," Tuggar said. "In the words of the famous U.S. rap group Public Enemy — you'll remember a line from Flava Flav: 'Flava Flav has problems of his own. I can't do nothing for you, man.'"
Tuggar's comments mark one of the most high-profile rejections yet of the Trump administration's efforts to deport migrants, under threat of tariffs and visa restrictions for countries that refuse. The U.S. government has not officially confirmed it is pressing African nations to accept third-country nationals.
This month, the U.S. government deported eight men to South Sudan. The deportees, from various countries — including Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Cuba and Mexico — had been transferred from the U.S. to a military base in Djibouti in East Africa in May, and they were flown to South Sudan over the weekend after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for their removal.
In May, Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe told Rwandan state TV that his government was in "early talks" with Washington regarding taking in third-country nationals deported from the United States. The U.S. has also reportedly approached at least three other African nations — Benin, Eswatini and Libya— to accept deported migrants, something that Libya's U.N.-backed government in the west and the military government that controls the east have denied.
This week, the State Department imposed major visa restrictions on citizens from Nigeria, Ethiopia and Cameroon. Nearly all nonimmigrant and nondiplomatic visas issued to citizens of those countries will now be valid for just three months and for a single entry — part of what the U.S. calls a "global reciprocity realignment."
The move has drawn criticism in Nigeria, where officials deny that the restrictions are reciprocal and argue they are instead linked to the country's refusal to comply with U.S. migration demands.
"It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria," said Tuggar. "We have enough problems of our own. We cannot accept Venezuelan deportees to Nigeria, for crying out loud."
The Nigerian government says it is engaging with U.S. officials to strike new deals involving critical minerals, oil and gas — but will not negotiate away its sovereignty. "We will continue to stand for our national interest," said Tuggar.
Nigeria's stance follows reporting by The Wall Street Journal that the Trump administration urged five African presidents — who met with President Trump at the White House this week — to accept deportees whose home countries refuse to take them back.
The summit, officially focused on trade, included the presidents of Liberia, Senegal, Gabon, Guinea-Bissau and Mauritania. But in his opening remarks, Trump referenced migration policy: "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.
Trump also sparked backlash at the meeting after praising Liberian President Joseph Boakai for speaking "such good English" — despite English being Liberia's official language. The country was founded by formerly enslaved people from the U.S. in the 19th century.
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