At least 137 Nigerians were repatriated from Germany through five separate chartered flights between February and June 2026, according to figures contained in migration reports reviewed by The PUNCH.
The deportations occurred in successive operations, beginning with the return of 27 Nigerians in February and followed by 37 Nigerians in March as part of a wider European exercise involving 50 people.
The subsequent flights brought back 24 Nigerians in April, 23 in May and another 26 in June, bringing the total number of Nigerians returned during the period to 137.
The February operation was conducted on February 18, when a World2fly aircraft flew 27 Nigerians from Stuttgart to Lagos. Germany was identified as the main country enforcing the return exercise.
A report by Refugees4refugees.org said one of the returnees had been transferred from Slovakia because of reported serious health and mental health concerns, while the others were deported from Germany.
The report also identified Baden-Württemberg as playing a significant role in the exercise and noted that Stuttgart had previously been used for another deportation flight to Nigeria.
Concerns were raised over some of the cases, including that of a woman and her three children who were reportedly removed from the Sindelfingen area despite having documents connected to their residence status.
The family was later said to have returned to Germany after a volunteer intervened and local immigration authorities reportedly acknowledged that the deportation had been carried out in error.
The March operation was a larger European exercise, with 50 people flown to Nigeria on March 10 through an arrangement involving Germany, Spain, Austria and Belgium. Germany was responsible for 37 of the returnees.
Another 24 Nigerians, including women and a minor, were deported on April 9 aboard a chartered flight from Frankfurt organised with the involvement of Frontex and German authorities.
The May operation accounted for 23 returnees, while a further 26 Nigerians arrived in Lagos on June 17 after another chartered flight from Germany.
The five operations collectively brought the number of Nigerians returned from Germany during the period to 137.
The development has renewed calls from migration advocates for deportation procedures to provide adequate protection for vulnerable migrants and ensure that immigration decisions are properly verified before removal.
The wider debate over irregular migration has also continued to focus on factors such as economic hardship, conflict, exploitation and climate pressures, which are among the circumstances that drive people to seek opportunities outside their countries.
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