Nigerians living in Algeria have reportedly gone into hiding due to the country’s intensified immigration crackdown, which resulted to the deportation of 40 individuals for overstaying their time in the country and refusal to return as well as illegal documents.
Following the immigration crackdown, the deportees arrived in Abuja on February 4, via Turkish Airlines. Reports stated that the deportees comprised 37 men and three women, 2025.
A source revealed that many Nigerians in Algeria are currently in hiding to avoid arrest and deportation. According to the source, some of those affected include Ibrahim Abdullahi from Kano State, Sani Adamu from Katsina State, and Barau Muazu from Kano State.
Algeria has been actively addressing the issue of illegal immigration, leading to the deportation of numerous sub-Saharan African migrants, including Nigerians. Following this, some human rights organizations have voiced their concerns about these immigration actions, citing issues such as racial profiling and the humanitarian conditions faced by deportees.
In recent years, Algeria has conducted mass deportations of sub-Saharan migrants. A notable instance is that of 2017, when it was reported that over 2,000 sub-Saharan migrants were removed within only three weeks.
More recently, in 2024, An NGO Alarme Phone Sahara estimated that more than 30,000 migrants were deported by Algeria to Niger, showing a visible increase in such actions. These deportation actions have raised more serious human rights concerns, with reports indicating that migrants are often abandoned in desert areas near the Niger border.
Migrants face harsh conditions, lacking basic necessities. The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation described Algeria’s immigration and deportation practices as “ruthless and illegal,” stressing the critical humanitarian conditions in northern Niger.
Although specific information on the number of Nigerians affected by Algeria’s increased crackdown on immigration is not stated, reports however revealed that Nigerians are part of the sub-Saharan migrants impacted by this.
The wider context of these deportations points to the challenges faced by migrants from various West African countries, including Nigeria, as they seek better opportunities but are met with rigid immigration enforcement and accompanying human rights problems.
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