In a move underscoring growing unease over illegal migration and regional instability, Nigeria has deported 62 undocumented migrants from Mali, a nation currently under military rule. The group, made up of 51 men and 11 women, was returned to their home country through official immigration channels over the weekend.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed the operation in a statement released in Abuja. According to the agency, the migrants had entered the country illegally and were apprehended during routine checks before being processed for deportation. They were transported in two buses from the NIS headquarters to the Illela border in Sokoto State under the watch of a team of eight officers, led by Inspector Mamoud Sadiq.
Tony Akuneme, Controller of the NIS command, explained that the operation was part of the service’s broader effort to curb irregular migration and ensure adherence to Nigeria’s immigration laws. “We must take seriously the security implications of unchecked cross-border movement, especially as the region faces growing political and economic volatility,” he said.
The deportation comes at a time when West Africa is grappling with increasing migration pressures driven by insecurity, poverty, and political upheaval. Mali, in particular, has seen a surge in outward migration following a series of military takeovers. The most recent coup in May 2021 saw Colonel Assimi Goïta seize power, plunging the country deeper into political uncertainty.
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With democratic freedoms shrinking and living conditions deteriorating, many Malians have looked to neighboring countries, including Nigeria, as a path to safety or opportunity. But with Nigeria itself struggling with its own economic and security challenges, the capacity to absorb and regulate such movements is becoming increasingly strained.
Nigeria’s border situation adds further complications. Spanning thousands of kilometers and dotted with more than 300 unofficial crossing points, the country’s northern and northwestern borders with countries like Niger, Chad, Mali, and Burkina Faso have long been considered some of the most porous in the region. These entry points have become conduits not only for undocumented migrants but also for smuggled weapons, illicit drugs, and armed insurgents.
“The reality is that many of our borders are barely marked,” said a senior immigration official familiar with border operations. “In some communities, people can walk across national boundaries without even realizing it, and that presents a serious challenge.”
In 2024 alone, the Nigerian government deported over 800 illegal immigrants for various violations—an indication of just how persistent and widespread the issue has become. Officials believe that unless regional collaboration improves, and internal political stability returns to countries like Mali, migration pressures will continue to mount.
To complicate matters further, Mali is also contending with a humanitarian crisis. Flooding in the Ségou region alone has displaced over 73,000 people, the majority of them women and children, creating yet another push factor for migration.
As the region braces for what could be a deeper migration crisis, authorities in Nigeria say they are stepping up surveillance and working to strengthen enforcement mechanisms. But with economic pressures rising across the Sahel and political uncertainty showing no signs of easing, the battle to secure Nigeria’s borders—and to manage the flow of vulnerable people—remains an uphill task.
