The European Union and Nigeria have signed their first-ever readmission agreement, establishing procedures to facilitate the identification and return of people who do not have the legal right to remain in either Nigeria or an EU member state.
The agreement was signed on November 10 in Abuja by European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner and Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, during Brunner’s official visit to the country.
According to the European Commission, the agreement is intended to establish swift and effective procedures for identifying and returning people who are not legally entitled to stay in Nigeria or an EU member state.
The visit also included discussions with Nigerian government representatives and other stakeholders on migration management, particularly the return and readmission of migrants.
Brunner described Nigeria as a key partner for Europe, saying relations between the two sides were growing stronger. He said the agreement marked a move from dialogue to practical cooperation on security and migration management, with the aim of delivering benefits to both sides.
During the visit, the EU and Nigeria also launched a Senior Officials Dialogue on Migration and Security. The initiative is expected to strengthen cooperation between the two sides on migration and security-related issues.
The agreement must still receive approval from the European Parliament before the Council of the European Union can ratify it. It will enter into force on the first day of the second month after both parties have formally notified each other that they have completed the necessary procedures.
The EU already has readmission agreements or arrangements with 24 countries. These include 18 legally binding agreements and six non-binding arrangements covering countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire.
Brunner also met representatives of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Representatives of Nigeria’s Network of Civil Society Organisations Against Child Trafficking, Abuse and Labour (NACTAL) and the Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSOnetMADE) also attended the discussions.
The meetings focused on cooperation to protect victims of human trafficking and displaced people in Nigeria. Brunner said the EU was supporting migration management efforts in the country with €66 million.
The agreement comes as the EU continues to pursue cooperation with countries outside the bloc to facilitate the return of people who do not have permission to remain in its member states.