Germany deported at least 137 Nigerian citizens in five documented chartered operations between February and June 2026, according to figures contained in reports monitored by the DERS Team and Refugees4refugees.org.
The documented operations involved 27 Nigerians deported in February, 37 returned directly by Germany as part of a 50-person joint European Union operation in March, and another 24, 23 and 26 Nigerians deported in April, May and June respectively.
The figures indicate an increased reliance on chartered flights to return Nigerians from Germany and other European countries, with some operations involving cooperation among multiple European states.
On February 18, 2026, 27 Nigerians arrived at Lagos Cargo Airport following a deportation flight from Germany.
According to Refugees4refugees.org, the flight was operated by World2fly and departed Stuttgart before arriving in Lagos shortly before 2 p.m.
The report said the operation was primarily carried out by Germany, while one person described as severely ill and mentally unfit was transferred from Slovakia to join the 26 people deported from Germany.
Baden-Württemberg was identified as a major participant in the operation, with Stuttgart reportedly having hosted both the December 2025 and February 2026 deportation flights to Nigeria.
The report also alleged that some of those deported had serious health conditions, while others had lived and worked in Germany for several years.
It highlighted the case of a single mother and her three children who were deported from the Sindelfingen district of Stuttgart despite reportedly having documents relating to their residency status.
According to the report, the family later returned to Germany following intervention by a volunteer and confirmation from local foreign authorities that their deportation had been carried out in error.
On March 10, another 50 people were deported to Nigeria in a joint EU operation hosted by Germany in cooperation with Spain, Austria and Belgium. Germany accounted for 37 of the deportations.
The operation was described as the largest single deportation of Nigerians recorded during the three-year period covered by the report.
Another 24 Nigerians, including women and a minor, were deported on April 9 aboard a chartered flight from Frankfurt organised by Frontex in collaboration with German authorities.
In May, a further 23 Nigerians were returned to the country, while another 26 arrived in Lagos on June 17 following a chartered deportation flight.
Overall, the five documented operations resulted in the return of 137 Nigerians to Nigeria between February and June 2026.