NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN: NIGERIA TO DEPORT ILLEGAL FOREIGN RESIDENTS, VISA VIOLATORS AS AMNESTY ENDS

The Federal Government has ordered a sweeping crackdown on illegal foreign residents and visa violators across Nigeria, as the three-month amnesty programme expired on October 1, 2025.

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) confirmed that mass enforcement operations will begin immediately, targeting foreign nationals who failed to regularise their immigration status within the grace period.

NIS Public Relations Officer, Akinsola Akinlabi, warned that offenders risk heavy sanctions, including deportation, fines, and in extreme cases, lifetime entry bans.

> “With the expiration of the amnesty period, effective October 1, 2025, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,” Akinlabi declared.

Categories of Violators Targeted

According to the NIS, the clampdown covers:

Holders of expired visa-on-arrival permits.

Visitors with expired single- or multiple-entry business/short-stay visas.

Foreign workers with lapsed Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).


Penalties for Overstayers

Less than 3 months: Removal, $15 daily fine, or 2-year entry ban.

3 months to 1 year: Removal, $15 daily fine, or 5-year entry ban.

Over 1 year: Deportation, 10-year ban, or permanent ban from entering Nigeria.

The immigration spokesman stressed that the enforcement measures are not only punitive but also a matter of national security, aimed at curbing abuses in Nigeria’s migration system.

> “The Nigeria Immigration Service remains committed to enforcing the law, protecting national interests, and promoting transparency and efficiency across all immigration processes,” Akinlabi assured.

The move signals one of the toughest immigration crackdowns in recent years, as Nigeria joins a growing list of nations tightening borders and imposing stiff penalties on illegal residency.