Germany deported at least 137 Nigerian nationals in five documented chartered-flight operations between February and June 2026, according to reports monitored by migration advocacy groups.
The deportations involved Nigerians returned directly from Germany as well as others included in joint operations involving several European countries.
Records compiled by the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org showed that 27 Nigerians were deported in February, followed by 37 in March as part of a larger 50-person European Union operation. Another 24 Nigerians were returned in April, 23 in May and 26 in June.
The figures point to continued reliance on organised charter flights by Germany and other European countries to enforce deportation decisions involving Nigerian nationals.
On February 18, 2026, 27 Nigerians arrived at Lagos Cargo Airport following a deportation operation from Germany.
According to Refugees4refugees.org, the flight was operated by World2Fly and departed Stuttgart before landing in Lagos shortly before 2pm.
The report said Germany was primarily responsible for the operation, although one severely ill person described as mentally unfit was transferred from Slovakia and included among those returned.
Baden-Württemberg was identified as a major participant in the operation, with Stuttgart reportedly hosting both the December 2025 and February 2026 deportation flights to Nigeria.
The February operation also raised concerns among migration advocates over the treatment of vulnerable deportees. The report alleged that some of those returned had serious health conditions, while others had lived and worked in Germany for several years.
It also cited the case of a single mother and her three children who were deported from the Sindelfingen district of Stuttgart despite reportedly possessing documents relating to their residence status.
According to the report, the family later returned to Germany after a volunteer intervened and local foreign authorities confirmed that the deportation had been carried out in error.
The February deportation also took place as Nigeria was participating in preparations for its Voluntary National Review of the Global Compact for Migration ahead of the 2026 International Migration Review Forum in New York.
The DERS Team further alleged that Nigerian government agencies did not send representatives to receive the deportees at the airport and that the returning Nigerians were transported away from the airport without adequate assistance.
Joint European Operation
On March 10, another 50 people were deported to Nigeria in a joint European operation hosted by Germany, with Spain, Austria and Belgium also participating.
Germany accounted for 37 of the deportations, according to the figures provided.
The operation was described in the report as the largest single deportation involving Nigerians during the three-year period under review.
Another 24 Nigerians, including women and a minor, were returned on April 9 on a chartered flight from Frankfurt organised through Frontex and German authorities.
In May, 23 more Nigerians were deported, while another 26 arrived in Lagos on June 17 following a further chartered flight.
The five documented operations therefore brought the total number of Nigerians returned from Germany and related European operations between February and June 2026 to 137.
Migration rights advocates have continued to call for stronger safeguards during deportation exercises, particularly for people with serious health conditions, children and families with unresolved residence claims.
They have also stressed the importance of thorough documentation and due process to prevent wrongful deportations.
Migration remains a complex global phenomenon driven by a combination of economic inequality, conflict, exploitation, environmental and climate-related pressures, insecurity and the search for better opportunities.
While migration can occur within a country or across international borders, irregular migration has become a major policy concern for European governments, which have increasingly intensified efforts to enforce immigration decisions and return people without legal status.
