Twenty-six Nigerians deported from Germany arrived at the cargo terminal of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Wednesday aboard a chartered flight.
The deportees comprised 25 adult men and one elderly woman.
Unlike previous evacuation exercises involving Nigerians returning from countries such as South Africa, no federal government agency was present at the airport to receive or support the deportees upon arrival.
Many of the returnees were left stranded outside the cargo area without transportation assistance or financial support to reconnect with their families. Some struggled to obtain SIM cards because they lacked National Identification Numbers, while others battled the intense heat after spending years abroad.
The deportees were also exposed to airport touts and scammers seeking to exploit their vulnerable situation, with several appearing emotionally distressed and uncertain about their next steps.
Project DERS, a private organisation, was the only group seen providing immediate assistance, including access to phone calls, guidance and temporary shelter for those unable to return home immediately.
Coordinator of Refugees4Refugees and Project DERS Lagos, Rex Osa, said the organisation has consistently monitored deportations from Europe and supported returnees abandoned at the airport.
According to him, the group operates a transit shelter near the airport and relies on volunteers, many of whom are former migrants, to provide peer support and help deportees cope with the psychological trauma and uncertainty associated with forced return.
