FG to Deport Undocumented Immigrants

• FG to Deport Undocumented Immigrants

The Federal Government through the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has said any immigrant that fails to take part in the ongoing e-registration will be deported.

Sunday James, the spokesman, NIS, said the service will start deporting any undocumented immigrant after January 12, 2020, adding that any Nigerian who engaged the service of undocumented immigrants could be sentenced to seven years in jail and fine N1 million by the court as from January 2020.

He said, “By the Nigeria Immigration Act, 2015, any Nigerian keeping irregular migrants who have not been documented in their house or in their business places would also partake of the punishment that would be meted out to the undocumented migrant.

“There is a fine of N1m or seven years imprisonment or both for the Nigerian host or employer of the irregular migrant. This would be prescribed by the court. For the migrant, he or she will be deported and would not be allowed to come back to Nigeria. We have given all undocumented foreigners till January next year to register on the e-migration portal.”

James said since the program started in July, more than 30,000 immigrants had registered in the Federal Capital Territory.

He, however, advised employers of foreign nationals to encourage them to register with the government.

He added that affected foreigners, including ECOWAS nationals, had till January 12 to register with the government via the NIS portal.