According to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority, four hundred Nigerians have been deported from the United Arab Emirates and have returned to Nigeria.
The deportees were welcomed at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja by representatives from the Office of the National Security Adviser, along with officials from 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 organizations.
“Four hundred Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates back to Nigeria.
“They were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by 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 (NAPTIP), the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and other stakeholders,” the news media said in a Wednesday post on X.
The diplomatic strain between Nigeria and the UAE has persisted for nearly two years, primarily due to a visa ban imposed by the UAE on Nigerians, which arose from a series of diplomatic conflicts.
A significant point of contention was the suspension of flights to Nigeria by Dubai’s Emirates Airline, which occurred after the Central Bank of Nigeria was unable to transfer approximately $850 million in revenue to the UAE.
In June, following multiple rounds of discussions with UAE officials, the Nigerian government reassured its citizens that the visa ban would be lifted soon. During this period, it was revealed that Nigeria had settled 98 percent of the $850 million owed, indicating progress in addressing the ongoing dispute.
The recent deportation takes place amid persistent diplomatic tensions between the two countries, which could be attributed to several undisclosed factors. Nonetheless, reports earlier this year suggested that both nations had come to an agreement to remove travel restrictions on Nigerians.
In July 2024, the government of the United Arab Emirates announced that it had officially lifted the visa restrictions imposed on Nigerians, effective immediately.
