Hundreds of Nigerian living in Saudi Arabia without work or residency permits have been deported.
It comes after a number of migrants posted a video to social media about their squalid conditions, asking for help.
A total of 384 people – including 300 men, 83 women and one infant – were flown from Saudi capital Riyadh on Thursday to Nigeria’s capital Abuja. A second flight is due on Friday.
In all, 802 people are expected to return in this round of deportations.
Some of the returnees told the BBC that they regretted the journey. They said they were kept for months in extremely crowded shelters without proper food, sanitation and hygiene, leading to illness and even deaths.
Many found themselves stranded by the coronavirus lockdown. They travelled to seek greener pastures but many say they ended up doing menial jobs such as car washing.
Officials say the returnees will now be quarantined for two weeks in the capital before being taken back to their communities as part of measures to control the spread of coronavirus.
