Nigerians Voluntarily Depart India Under Special Amnesty Programme as High Commission Seeks More Time for Stranded Citizens

No fewer than 4,000 Nigerians residing in India have utilized a special government-backed amnesty initiative to voluntarily exit the country, bringing relief to hundreds of families grappling with immigration challenges abroad.

The development was made public by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to India, Amb. Saidu Dahiru Muhammad, during an interactive session with diplomatic correspondents in New Delhi. According to the envoy, the mass departure followed a diplomatic arrangement negotiated with Indian authorities, permitting foreign nationals with expired documents, overstayed visas, or other technical status infractions to leave the South Asian nation without facing prosecution, custodial sentences, or prohibitive financial penalties.

The High Commissioner explained that the initial amnesty window, which had previously faced strict timelines, was extended following direct consultations between the Nigerian mission and India’s Ministry of External Affairs. The cooperative framework allowed thousands of affected individuals to clear their records and board flights back to Nigeria voluntarily.

Highlighting ongoing consular efforts, Muhammad noted that the High Commission has formally requested a further extension ranging from three to six months. The proposed extension is designed to grant ample opportunity for other stranded or undocumented Nigerians to either regularize their residential status or utilize the penalty-free exit window.

The disclosure came on the heels of a wider diplomatic push by the new mission leadership to revamp diaspora welfare management. Alongside the departure coordination, the High Commissioner recently led a three-day inspection tour of correctional institutions across India to investigate the welfare, legal standing, and human rights of incarcerated Nigerian nationals.

The mission reiterated its stance on citizen-centered diplomacy, urging citizens living abroad to remain law-abiding, utilize formal legal channels, and maintain close contact with the embassy to avoid falling into irregular immigration loops.