12,000 Nigerians Likely To Be Deported From Germany

More than 12,000 Nigerian asylum seekers in Germany may likely be deported from the European nation next year, a German official said on Tuesday, according to The Nation newspaper.

The country’s Global Head of programme, Migration and Development, Dr. Ralf Sanftenberg, said the Nigerians will be denied asylum status by German government.

Sanftenberg spoke when he visited the Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Sanftenberg, who is the leader of delegation from the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development, was on a site assessment mission for Nigerians who are voluntarily returning to the country.


He said,” We have over 37,000 Nigerians in Germany and more than 12,000 of them are asylum seekers.

“There is a little chance for their applications to be moved and they may be forced to come back to Nigeria next year.”

He said 99 per cent of them were likely to be denied asylum status because Nigeria is not among war countries.

Sanftenberg, however, said if the asylum seekers are willing to return to Nigeria voluntarily they would not be forced back or deported but would be assisted through a support programme organised by Germany.