Mass Deportation Looms As Immigration Amnesty For Overstayers Ends

The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a nationwide crackdown connected overseas nationals who person overstayed their visas oregon violated migration regulations, pursuing the expiration of the Federal Government’s visa amnesty programme.

LEADERSHIP reports that with the grace play officially closed, wide deportation present looms for violators.

Recall that the amnesty initiative, introduced connected July 5, 2025, offered an accidental for affected individuals to regularise their migration presumption without facing penalties. That model officially closed astatine midnight connected September 30, 2025.

In a connection issued conscionable earlier the deadline expired, NIS Public Relations Officer, ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, announced that enforcement operations would commence from Wednesday, October 1.

The crackdown, according to the statement, volition people holders of expired Visa connected Arrival (VoA), expired azygous oregon multiple-entry abbreviated sojourn and concern visas, arsenic good arsenic individuals with lapsed Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).

The connection explained that overseas nationals recovered successful usurpation volition look sanctions, including removal from the country, outgo of overstay penalties, and restrictions connected aboriginal entry.

It further revealed that the offenders volition look stiff consequences ranging from removal from the state to monetary penalties and bans connected re-entry.

According to the Service, individuals who person overstayed by little than 3 months hazard deportation, a $15 regular fine, oregon a two-year introduction ban, portion those who person overstayed betwixt 3 months and 1 twelvemonth look akin fines and a five-year ban.

For overstays beyond 1 year, the punishment escalates to removal and either a ten-year oregon imperishable introduction ban.

The Immigration Service stressed that this enforcement thrust was aimed astatine restoring compliance with migration laws, enhancing nationalist security, and fostering transparency wrong Nigeria’s migration system.

“Sequel to the earlier connection dated connected 5th July, 2025, connected Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty) granted by the Federal Government of Nigeria which allowed foreigners with expired migration presumption to regularise their enactment successful Nigeria without penalties, we privation to notify the wide nationalist that the Amnesty model ended by midnight of 30th September 2025.

“With the expiration of the Amnesty period, effectual 1st October 2025, enforcement actions volition commence nationwide against overseas nationals who person overstayed their visa oregon violated their introduction conditions.

“In addition, overseas nationals recovered successful usurpation of Nigeria Immigration Laws shall beryllium subjected to sanctions, including outgo of overstay penalties, removal and imaginable regularisation from aboriginal introduction into Nigeria,” the NIS stated.