Nigerian students and business owners living in India say stricter immigration checks, frequent visa renewals and what they describe as racial profiling have made life increasingly difficult across several cities.
Some residents allege harassment by law enforcement tied to expired documents, while others claim they face discrimination when seeking housing or running small businesses. A few students also reported intimidation and said attempts to seek redress brought little change.
The situation has drawn attention back home. The National Association of Nigerian Students held a peaceful protest at the Indian High Commission in Abuja, calling for urgent diplomatic engagement. Student leaders said they had received multiple distress reports from Nigerians in cities such as Mumbai and Delhi over visa challenges and alleged profiling.
A student representative in Rajasthan explained that international students cannot obtain permanent residency and must renew visas regularly as students or workers. According to her, Nigerians often face tighter timelines for renewal and risk penalties if academic or financial conditions are not met.
Another student in Delhi claimed Nigerians are required to pay about 10,000 rupees every three months to maintain valid status, a condition she said is not applied equally to students from some other African countries. She added that many only learned of the frequency and cost of renewals after arriving in India.
She also alleged that police monitor Nigerians whose visas expire, leading to arrests and, in some cases, deportations. “There is a feeling that Nigerians are quickly blamed whenever issues arise,” she said.
Observers believe increased scrutiny may be linked to past drug-related arrests involving some foreign nationals, which they say has affected perceptions of the wider Nigerian community. Deportations of Nigerians have also reportedly risen in recent years.
A diplomat familiar with the situation urged Nigerians to comply strictly with local laws, while calling on the Nigerian government to pursue reciprocal visa arrangements if concerns persist. He also alleged that internal disputes within the community sometimes lead to individuals reporting fellow Nigerians to authorities.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission said it had not received formal complaints on the issue beyond media enquiries and noted that visa policies fall within the sovereign rights of host countries. It added that reciprocity remains Nigeria’s main diplomatic option in such matters.
Efforts to get an official response from the Indian High Commission in Nigeria were unsuccessful as of press time.
