EU and Nigeria Sign First Readmission Agreement

The European Union and Nigeria have signed their first readmission agreement, establishing a framework for returning people who have no legal right to remain in either jurisdiction, according to EFE’s reporting of a European Commission announcement on Wednesday.

Home Affairs and Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner and Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu signed the agreement during the commissioner’s visit to Abuja. A Nigerian foreign ministry statement reproduced by EFE dates the signing to 10 November.

The agreement is intended to make identification and return procedures faster and more effective in both directions. EFE reports that Brunner also held discussions with government representatives and national stakeholders on migration management, including return and readmission.

Signing does not mean the agreement has entered into force. According to EFE, the European Parliament must approve it and the Council must subsequently complete its ratification steps.

Return arrangements depend on cooperation between the authorities seeking to return a person and those expected to readmit them. Establishing agreed procedures can address practical obstacles to identification and documentation.

The agreement concerns people without a legal right to stay. It should not be read as a general instruction to remove Nigerian nationals living lawfully in the EU, or as evidence that individual return decisions no longer require legal safeguards.

The deal adds a bilateral instrument to the EU’s wider migration cooperation with partner countries. Nigeria’s participation is significant because effective readmission requires the cooperation of countries of origin as well as European authorities.

The Commission’s broader return policy states that procedures must respect fundamental rights, access to asylum and the prohibition on returning people to persecution or serious harm. Individual decisions and legal remedies remain distinct from the diplomatic agreement.

European approval and ratification remain outstanding. EFE reports that entry into force is tied to notification of ratification by both parties; the signing announcement does not provide a date on which the new procedures will begin operating.