President Donald Trump's administration this week asked five African presidents visiting the White House to take in migrants from other countries when deported by the US, two officials familiar with the discussions told Reuters.

Yusuf Tuggar, the Nigerian Foreign Minister, told local Channels TV late on Thursday that Nigeria could not accept that.

"You have to also bear in mind that the US is mounting considerable pressure on African countries to accept Venezuelans to be deported from the US, some straight out of prison," he said from Brazil, where he was at a Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa bloc summit.

"It will be difficult for a country like Nigeria to accept Venezuelan prisoners into Nigeria. We have enough problems of our own," noting his nation's 230 million-strong population.

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Since returning to the office in January, Trump has been pressing to speed up deportations, including by sending migrants to third countries when there are problems or delays over sending them to their home nations.

--Reuters--