No fewer than 400 Nigerians, who were deported from the United Arab Emirates, have returned to Nigeria.
According to Nigerian Television Authority, the deportees were met at Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, and other relevant stakeholders.
“Four hundred Nigerians, comprising 90 women and 310 men, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates back to Nigeria.
“The National Security Adviser’s office, in partnership with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders, received them at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” the news media stated in a post on X.
According to a source, the Federal Government returned 190 Nigerians in total from the United Arab Emirates in July 2024.
The diplomatic issues between Nigeria and the UAE have been embroiled in a diplomatic spat that began about two years ago when the UAE banned Nigerians from entering the country due to several diplomatic disagreements.
One significant problem was that Emirates Airline of Dubai had to suspend service to Nigeria because the Central
Bank of Nigeria was unable to send the UAE an estimated $85 million in revenue.
Following multiple rounds of negotiations with UAE authorities, the Nigerian government gave its nationals assurances in June that the visa block would be lifted shortly.
Simultaneously, there was an announcement that Nigeria had settled the dispute, with 98% of the $850 million owing paid.
Despite reports that both countries have achieved an agreement to remove travel restrictions on Nigerians, the expulsion of 400 Nigerians occurred recently, adding to the ongoing diplomatic difficulties.
In July 2024, the United Arab Emirates government declared that visa restrictions on Nigerians had been eliminated with immediate effect.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
