Germany leads EU deportations of Nigerians, with 457 sent back in 18 months

Germany has emerged as the leading European hub for deporting Nigerian migrants, facilitating the return of 457 individuals to Nigeria over the past 18 months. These removals were conducted through 14 chartered flights originating from German cities, underscoring Germany's central role in European deportation operations.

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These strategic denials are usually attributed to claims that applicants did not meet required German integration benchmarks such as certified language courses, gainful employment and national identity documents.

Data compiled by the Deportees Emergency Reception and Support team (DERS) reveals that German authorities were involved in nearly every significant monthly removal operation from Europe to Nigeria between January 2025 and May 2026. Lagos received over 80 percent of these returnees. The operations involved joint efforts with other EU countries, including Austria, Italy, Cyprus, and Poland, though Germany frequently took the lead in coordination and enforcement.

Records indicate a consistent pace of deportations, with multiple flights each month. For instance, in the first half of 2025, 171 Nigerians were deported, with 143 directly from Germany. The second half saw another 135 arrivals. The trend continued into 2026, with 147 Nigerians deported between January and May, including a significant operation in March that saw 50 returnees, with Germany accounting for 37 deportations.

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what has become very obvious is the ongoing deportation of many who, after the first 18 months, are denied extension of Paragraph 104c.

DERS attributes these removals to Berlin's policy of mass denial of residence extensions under Paragraph 104c. The group claims that applicants are often denied extensions due to failure to meet German integration benchmarks, such as language proficiency and employment. DERS further alleges that the regularization scheme itself was designed to encourage cooperation in obtaining national identity documents, which are then used to facilitate deportations.

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the Paragraph 104c regularization scheme was “from the onset another reproduced deception to engage so-called Tolerated “Duldung” holders to actively cooperate in obtaining national identity documents as a criterion for extension.”