Cameroon deports 517 Nigerians, 313 asylum seekers included
- Cameroonian government has deported no less than 517 Nigerians
- 313 of the repatriated Nigerians are refugees who fled from Boko Haram
- Nigerian federal government is working on an agreement to voluntarily relocate 85,000 others
The government of Cameroon has deported about 517 Nigerians who are in the country illegally. 313 asylum seekers who fled from the Boko Haram insurgence in northern Nigeria were also deported, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said efforts are ongoing to get details surrounding the action by the Cameroonian government and the condition of the affected Nigerians, Vanguard reports.
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The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is reportedly worried about the deportation which he described as against international conventions. He has however appealed to the Cameroonian government to consider offering asylum to Nigerians who need it rather than forcefully deport them.
UNHCR Cameroon tweeted that: "The UNHCR is very concerned about these repatriations and continues to advocate for access to asylum and the principle of non-refoulement."
The UNHCR is also planning to sign an agreement with Cameroon and Nigeria in March 2017, for the voluntary return of 85,000 Nigerian refugees.
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Recall that the Nigerian government recently declared that it has succeeded in ending the Boko Haram insurgence in Nigeria. This might encourage voluntary return of asylum seekers who fled the country to survive terrorism.
Meanwhile, no fewer than 163 Nigerians who have been stranded in Libya voluntarily returned to the country on Tuesday, February 14.
Their return was facilitated by the International Oganisation for Migration (IOM), following the federal government’s request for its assistance after confirming that some Nigerians were willing to return home.
Source: Legit.ng
