Nigeria has deported 62 undocumented Malian nationals, highlighting growing concerns over irregular migration across West Africa.
According to the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the group – comprising 51 men and 11 women – was detained for illegal entry and deported through formal procedures.
They were escorted from the NIS headquarters in Abuja to the Illela border post in Sokoto State by a team of officers led by Inspector Mamoud Sadiq.
The deportation comes amid growing instability in the Sahel, severe climate shocks, and porous borders that continue to drive mass displacement and migration.
Flooding has displaced over 73,000 people – many of them women and children – in the central Ségou region of Mali, where urgent humanitarian needs persist.
As of early 2023, Mali hosted more than 63,000 refugees and nearly 900 asylum seekers. Experts warn that without coordinated regional strategies, irregular migration will likely intensify due to worsening living conditions and fragile border controls.
