TheCable

The government of Germany says more than 12,000 Nigerians in its country may be deported in 2018.

Ralf Sanftenberg, the country’s global head of programme, migration and development, made this known when he visited Abike Dabiri-Erewa, senior special assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari on foreign affairs and diaspora.

Sanftenberg, who is the leader of delegation from the German ministry of economic cooperation and development, said he was on a site assessment mission for Nigerians who are voluntarily returning to the country.

“We have over 37,000 Nigerians in Germany and more than 12,000 of them are asylum seekers,” he said.

“There is a little chance for their applications to be moved and they may be forced to come back to Nigeria next year.”

He said 99% of them would likely be denied asylum status because Nigeria is not among war countries.

However, asylum seekers willing to return to Nigeria voluntarily will not be forced back or deported but would be assisted through a support programme organised by Germany.

In January, Donald Trump, president of United States placed a temporary visa ban on citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Libya, Yemen and Somalia.

Trump explained that the measures would help to “keep radical Islamic terrorists out of the US”.

Meanwhile, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, prime minister and vice president of the United Arab Emirates, announced on Sunday that the cabinet has approved a new entry visa system to attract exceptional talent.