Botswana Deports 300 Nigerians

Is there any country where you cant find Nigerians? Can you imagine such country with the name mentioned above is even deporting Nigerians, that’s incredible.

No fewer than 300 Nigerians living in the Republic of Botswana have been deported home by Lieutenant General Seretse Khama Ian Khama’s administration in the past few months, after the authorities refused to renew their permits. The angry deportees want President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Assembly to quickly look into the relations between Bostwana and Nigeria in order to ascertain the true conditions of Nigerians living in that country.

The returnees, most of whom had lived and worked in the Southern African country, said since the assumption of General Khama, whose mother was of British origin, Nigerians in that country had been subjected to dehumanising conditions and racial abuse, even when, they claimed, they had been law-abiding and of good behavior.

Alleging that the target of the Khama government had been how to get rid of innocent Nigerians pursuing a just course or doing genuine businesses in the country, they claimed that all their efforts to make the Bostwana authorities understand that they were peace-loving and not interested in criminal activities fell on deaf ears as they were only interested in sending them out without any reason.

Speaking with Vanguard on the ordeals of Nigerians in the hands of the Botswana officials, Mr. Kingsley Ndubuisi from Anambra State, who returned to the country without his belongings in September, this year, said all Nigerians whose permits expired were forcefully deported, leaving their property, wives and children behind.

The most annoying of all the troubles Nigerians are facing in that country accoprding to him, is the incessant stamping of, PI, meaning Prohibited Immigrant on the passport of Nigerian nationales by the Bostwana authorities; the implication is that such a person cannot enter Bostwana again, according to Ndubuisi.

He said some of the victims of the “flush Nigerians policy” are well trained Nigerian doctors, pharmacists and businessmen such as Chinaenye Uzoho, Chinonso Opara, Dr. Henry,Vitus Kingsley Ikekwem, Chika Uzo, among others.

Ndubuisi claimed that all these Nigerians were escorted to the airport in handcuff and leg chains like notorious criminals. “There is also a pharmacist who live in Phikwe married to a Botswana citizen; he was also given Prohibited Immigrant, PI, and he is still waiting in detention for his deportation,” Ndubuisi alleged.

The returnee said he regretted that while Nigerians were being ill-treated and enied vital resident and travel documents by the Bostwana authoritities, ironically, Nigerian government was issuing travel documents to Bostwanas just for the asking of them.

“Nigerians are not given Bostwana visa , may be, one out of every 50,while Botswanas who get Nigerian visa every week is not less than 50. Check the Lagos international Airport for your record,” he said.

He alleged that the Nigerian Embassy in that country was aware of all the happenings but was doing little or nothing about the embarrassing situation, adding that except one Mallam Musa, a consulor in the embassy, who speaks often intervens on behalf of Nigerians in critical issues, the ambassador was hardly accessible, and could not do anything.

Ndubuisi alleged that during President Jonathan’s recent visit to that country, a female official attached to the Nigerian embassy warned Nigerians there not to tell the president that Nigerians’ resident permits were cancelled while they were given 30 days to leave the country, not minding their investments, families and children’s education there.

Efforts to speak with the Botswana consulate at Abuja on the issue proved abortive as officials of the embassy declined comments.

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2 Nigerian Student Face Deportation From Over Walmart Job

Siting inside a church, University of Regina students Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Amadi start as a prairie wind rattles the front door. 

Ordu glances over, eyes wary, before flicking toward the window at the back of the church she now calls home.  Sunshine streams through the glass, but that's the only taste of the outside world the two girls have been able to get since June 19, when they opted to seek sanctuary in the church.  The fear of being found by the Canada Border Services Agency and deported back home to Nigeria hangs over their heads - all because they worked for two weeks at Walmart.

They have spent each day hoping Canadian Federal Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney - the only one who can change their fate - will grant them pardon.  The daily stress of it has, they say, been "hell."  U of R President Vianne Timmons has visited them at the church and the school has contacted the federal government, throwing its support behind the students' plea to stay in Canada and complete their education.

Amadi and Ordu have also written letters to Kenney, but no one has had a response.

And so, they wait.

"This is a small mistake we made, and now everything is at risk," Ordu says, clasping her shaking hands in her lap.

"It doesn't make any sense. They're looking for us like we've killed someone. We're just students at university ... but it's like we're running away and living in fear every day."

As part of their visas, international students like Ordu - who is studying theatre arts - and Amadi - international studies - are able to work on campus.  Both in Canada on full scholarships paid for by their government, Ordu and Amadi went to Service Canada and got their Social Insurance Numbers when they arrived in 2010, ending up working at the university.  Last year, Amadi found a parttime job at Walmart and Ordu at an agency that does demonstrations at the store.

Both were under the misapprehension their SINs allowed them to work outside U of R. Ordu quit after two weeks, as soon as she found out that wasn't the case.  Amadi discovered her mistake during her second week on the job - and was led away from her till in handcuffs by two CBSA agents.

"They led me through the store, in front of everyone, and all the customers were looking at me like 'What have you done?'" she recalls, looking at the floor.

"I just felt so embarrassed."

Kay Adebogun is a Regina immigration consultant who has taken on their case pro bono.

"Why go to that level of force?" he says.

"Why parade her out of there like she's a criminal?"

Barb Pollock, U of R spokeswoman, says while the school respects the fact laws have to be upheld, it is trying to advocate for a reconsideration of the girls' case.

"We think that the penalty, perhaps, is a bit severe for the crime," she says.

"Albeit that laws have been contravened, in light of what they have done to contravene the law, we would like them to have an opportunity to complete their education with us ... (and) we think it is a harsh penalty to be deported."

Pollock says the university has written to Kenney but is yet to receive an indication when it might receive a decision from the minister.  Both students say they admitted their mistake right away, but think the CBSA's decision to deport them - which went to an admissibility hearing - is an over-reaction.

"It's a huge deal to finish school, come back (to Nigeria) and help the country," Amadi says.

"Now to think we lose three years of our lives because of a small mistake? If there was a fine, a warning, that would be more reasonable. I just wish they could look at this from a human point of view."

Pollock agrees the case demonstrates how important it is for international students to understand Canadian laws.

"We have to make sure our students really understand what it means to come here and go to school - what the opportunities are and, at the same time, what the limits are," she says.  "The fact something may not have been clear, you can be assured we're making that very clear with our incoming students now."

Adebogun would like to see a reversal in the decision to deport Ordu and Amadi, but he also thinks there are bigger issues at play with how the two were treated.  Of particular concern, he says, is the fact both students were asked by CBSA workers for names of other Nigerian students who were working and even if they knew anybody in a gang.

"They agree they did something wrong, but they should have a second chance," Adebogun says.

CBSA could not provide a comment on Tuesday but is expected to provide information on the case today.

Source: The Regina Leader Post

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