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German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, has explained why no fewer than 14,000 Nigerians living in the country risk deportation.
Scholz said it was attributed to the spike in the number of Nigerians seeking asylum, with a great number of them without identification cards, adding that approximately 12,500 Nigerians were in a condition of tolerance in Germany as a result of the Nigerian government’s reluctance to admit people without the necessary identity documents.
Speaking during a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja on Tuesday, Scholz said: “The current spike in Nigerians filing initial asylum claims in 2023 has sparked worries. Nearly 14,000 Nigerians might be deported, and the great majority of them do not have the necessary identification cards.
“We are prepared to collaborate in order to enhance migration,” the German Chancellor said, adding that Germany would be happy to send back any Nigerian national who had behaved well.
In his remarks, President Tinubu alluded to the potential for cooperation in order to resolve the matter of deportation.
He also underlined the fact that his administration was ready to allow people return, especially those recognised as fellow citizens and had behaved well.
Tinubu said: “Nigeria is prepared to welcome them back as long as they have behaved well, but only if they stand to gain something from it. Rather, we ought to cease providing the 640 million euros in development funding.
“If someone is a compatriot and has ‘behaved well, we are willing to accept them back. We’re prepared to collaborate in order to enhance migration.’’
Nigeria had long been one of the top 10 countries of origin for German asylum applicants, but recently, the proportion has begun to decline.
