According to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority, four hundred Nigerians comprising 90 females and 310 males, have been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and arrived at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The deportees were received by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, 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
Nearly two years ago, the UAE imposed a visa ban on Nigerians stemming from various disputes, including 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 July 2024, the UAE government announced it had lifted the visa restrictions on Nigerians with immediate effect. However, this recent deportation suggests that the diplomatic issues between the two nations are still unresolved.
The Federal Government has been actively working to address the situation, repatriating a total of 190 Nigerians from the UAE in July 2024. In June, the Nigerian government assured its citizens that the visa ban would soon be lifted after paying 98% of the $850 million owed to the UAE.
