Algeria Deports 40 Nigerians Amid Intensified Crackdown on Migrants

At least 40 Nigerian nationals have been deported from Algeria in the latest wave of immigration enforcement targeting undocumented migrants across the country.

According to official reports, the deportees including 37 men and 3 women landed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on February 4, 2025, via Turkish Airlines Flight TK623 at approximately 8:10 pm.

The deportations come amid a sweeping crackdown by Algerian authorities, prompting fear among Nigerian migrants still residing in the country. Multiple sources say many Nigerians are now in hiding, wary of being picked up and expelled next.

Among those returned to Nigeria are individuals identified as Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kano State, Sani Adamu from Katsina State, and Barau Muazu, also from Kano State.

Algeria has intensified its efforts to curb irregular migration, particularly from sub-Saharan Africa. Human rights groups have sharply criticized the deportations, raising concerns about racial profiling and the inhumane treatment of migrants during detention and expulsion processes.

In past years, Algeria has faced international backlash over its deportation practices. In 2017, Amnesty International reported mass expulsions of over 2,000 people within just three weeks. More recently, a 2024 report by Alarme Phone Sahara revealed that over 30,000 migrants including Nigerians were dumped at Algeria’s southern border with Niger, often left to fend for themselves in harsh desert terrain without food, water, or shelter.

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and other advocacy organizations have condemned these practices as "illegal and dehumanizing," warning of the serious humanitarian consequences.

As North African countries tighten border controls, West African migrants continue to face increasing risks, bothered during their journey and upon arrival in foreign lands