Foreign Minister Tuggar Defies Trump’s Push for Third-Country Deportations
Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Tuggar rejected U.S. pressure to accept Venezuelan deportees, including ex-prisoners, during a Channels Television interview on July 10, 2025. Citing Nigeria’s 230 million population and existing challenges, Tuggar said, “It will be difficult for Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners. We have enough problems of our own,” as reported by Nigeria Sun.
The statement followed a July 9 White House meeting where President Donald Trump urged leaders of Senegal, Liberia, Mauritania, Guinea-Bissau, and Gabon to accept third-country deportees, per a Wall Street Journal report. A U.S. State Department document requested “dignified, safe, and timely transfer” of such migrants, amid Trump’s crackdown on undocumented migration, including deportations to El Salvador and Panama.
Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Sissoco Embaló denied that Trump had directly asked them to take immigrants back. Liberia’s Foreign Minister Sara Beysolow Nyanti also told BBC Newsday on July 10 that no such discussions occurred. However, Trump’s remarks at the meeting referenced addressing visa overstays and third-country agreements, suggesting deportation talks.
Tuggar linked U.S. visa restrictions—limiting Nigerian non-immigrant visas to single-entry, three-month terms—and a 10% tariff on Nigerian goods to Nigeria’s refusal, calling the visa policy non-reciprocal. Nigeria issues five-year multiple-entry visas to U.S. citizens and has introduced e-visas for efficiency. He emphasized ongoing U.S. talks to resolve differences, focusing on trade in gas and critical minerals.
Trump’s policy has sparked controversy, with deportations to South Sudan and El Salvador, including 311 Venezuelans in March 2025, raising human rights concerns. Nigeria’s stance reflects resistance to being a dumping ground, amid fears of setting a precedent, as Tuggar warned, “That might just be the beginning.”