400 Deported Nigerians Lands At Abuja Airport From UAE
According to a report from the Nigerian Television Authority(NTA), 400 Nigerians have been deported from the United Arab Emirates and have returned to Nigeria.
The deportees, comprising 90 women and 310 men, were received at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja. The Office of the National Security Adviser coordinated their arrival alongside 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 relevant stakeholders.
In a post shared on Wednesday via X, it was noted that the collaborative effort ensured the safe reception of the returnees.
The Federal Government repatriated a total of 190 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates in July 2024.
The diplomatic tension between Nigeria and the UAE has been ongoing, with the UAE imposing a visa ban on Nigerians nearly two years ago, stemming from various diplomatic disputes.
One major issue involved Dubai’s Emirates Airline halting flights to Nigeria after the Central Bank of Nigeria was unable to remit an estimated $850 million in revenue to the UAE.
In June, after several rounds of negotiations with UAE authorities, the Nigerian government assured its citizens that the visa ban would soon be lifted. Around the same time, it was announced that Nigeria had paid 98 percent of the $850 million owed, signaling progress in resolving the dispute.
This deportation occurs against the backdrop of ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two nations, which may be rooted in various undisclosed issues. Despite this, reports earlier this year indicated that both countries reached an agreement to lift travel restrictions on Nigerians.
The United Arab Emirates Government in July 2024 announced it had finally lifted visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians with immediate effect.
