Saudi deports Nigerians

2004-05-26 17:34

Lagos - Saudi Arabia has deported 7 429 allegedly Nigerian nationals in the past four months for immigration-related offences and prostitution, officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service said on Wednesday.

The deportees, mostly women, were brought back to the west African country through Kano international airport in the north.

The comptroller of immigration in Kano, Abubakar Kuso, said 3 823 of the deportees were women suspected to be engaged in prostitution in the oil-rich country.

Most of the deportees claimed to have come from Nigeria, but investigations have proved that an undisclosed number of them were nationals of neighbouring west African countries, Kuso said.

He appealed to the Saudi government to involve Nigeria in future deportation exercises so as to determine the authenticity of their nationalities.

A spokesperson for the Nigeria Immigration Service, Isiaka Yussuf, told reporters that deportation of foreigners by the Saudi authorities is an annual event.

"It is a routine exercise by the Saudi authorities after the Hajj to flush out illegal residents from their country," he said.

He said thousands of Muslims who go to Saudi Arabia for the annual Holy Pilgrimage usually stay back without valid resident papers.

"The policy is not against Nigerian immigrants per se, but all foreign immigrants who overstay," Yussuf said.

Hundreds of Nigerians are repatriated from Europe, America and other overseas countries annually for immigration-related offences, drug trafficking and prostitution.

Two months ago, 43 Nigerians were deported from Spain for similar offences.

- AFP