36 Nigerians Deported From Europe in Fresh Immigration Crackdown

(Deported Nigerians. Photo by Guardian Nigerian News)

Thirty-six Nigerians have been deported from four European countries in a joint operation that also sent five Ghanaians and one Gambian back to Africa.

The deportees were flown to Lagos in Nigeria and Accra in Ghana between Wednesday night and Thursday morning on a charter flight.

Austria deported three Nigerians, Germany deported 29, Luxembourg deported two and Hungary deported one.

Germany led the operation with 35 people on the flight overall, made up of 29 Nigerians, five Ghanaians and one Gambian.

One of the three Nigerians deported from Austria had been previously convicted of drug-related offences.

Austria's Interior Minister said the government would keep removing people living illegally in the country and those convicted of crimes.

"The negative net migration is being continued through a consistent deportation policy.

Never before have so many illegal residents and criminal offenders been removed from the country by Austrian authorities as in the first half of this year.

We will continue on this necessary path undeterred," the minister said.

This deportation follows earlier operations where Germany deported 137 Nigerians in five chartered flights between February and June 2026.

Those flights sent 27 Nigerians in February, 37 in March, 24 in April, 23 in May and 26 in June.

European countries continue deporting foreign nationals who have no legal right to stay in their countries or who have been convicted of crimes.