Nigerians stranded in UAE over visa ban

Members of the Nigerian community in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have decried that the strained relationship between both countries is affecting their livelihoods.

Some of them living in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah told Daily Trust that because of the work permit ban slammed on Nigeria, many of them had lost their jobs; while others were being deprived of better job opportunities.

This, according to them, is in addition to various forms of discrimination facing them in their host country.

They are appealing to the federal government to urgently resolve the diplomatic row with the UAE.

Some analysts, who spoke to Daily Trust, advised them to return home, deploy their talents and develop Nigeria.

They also asked the federal and state governments to make Nigeria’s environments viable and conducive in order to reduce citizens’ desperation for greener pasture abroad.

This is just as the Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has assured that efforts towards resolving the issues had reached an advanced stage.

Since 2021, Nigeria and the UAE have been embroiled in a diplomatic spat over issues relating to flight allocations and travel bans.

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Both countries have embarked on a back-and-forth since the COVID-19 pandemic as they disagreed over travel requirements.

Nigeria, in 2021, suspended Emirates Airlines; and in retaliation, the UAE barred Nigerian travelers from visiting Dubai.

After this was resolved, there was another issue between Emirates and Air Peace, Nigeria’s sole carrier flying to the UAE. In December 2021, Nigeria reduced Emirates’ 21 weekly flights to Nigeria to one for refusing to grant the three slots requested by Air Peace flying to Sharjah. The UAE later backtracked and granted Air Peace seven frequencies to Dubai.

Later in October 2022, Emirates Airlines suspended all flights to Nigeria, citing its $85 million trapped funds.

The UAE authorities followed this with a visa ban on Nigeria alongside Ghana, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Cameroon, Nigeria, Liberia, Burundi, Republic of Guinea, Gambia, Togo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, Benin and Ivory Coast.

While the ban on other nations has been lifted, that on Nigeria is yet to be removed.

Last September, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu visited the UAE for a possible resolution of the issues between both countries. He was also there in December for the United Nations Climate Change Conference where he met with the UAE authorities on the lingering issues.

Nigerians stranded in UAE over visa ban

Daily Trust