According to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority, 400 Nigerians have been deported from the United Arab Emirates and have arrived back in Nigeria.
Officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, in collaboration with the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Emergency Management Agency, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, and other stakeholders, were present to receive the deportees at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The report stated, “Among the deportees are 90 women and 310 men, all of whom were deported from the United Arab Emirates to Nigeria.” The deportees were received by the Office of the National Security Adviser alongside agencies such as NAPTIP, NEMA, and other relevant authorities, as shared in a post on X by the news outlet on Wednesday.
In July 2024, the Nigerian government also repatriated 190 of its citizens from the UAE, according to PUNCH Online.
Diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE have persisted for almost two years, following the imposition of a visa ban on Nigerians, driven by various diplomatic disagreements between the two countries.
One of the key issues was the suspension of flights by Dubai’s Emirates Airline to Nigeria, which occurred after the Central Bank of Nigeria failed to remit approximately $85 million in revenue to the UAE.
In June, following numerous negotiations, Nigerian authorities assured the public that the visa ban would soon be lifted. Around the same period, it was revealed that Nigeria had paid off 98 percent of its $850 million debt, signaling progress toward resolving the dispute.
Even though 400 Nigerians were recently deported, diplomatic relations appear to be improving, with reports suggesting that both nations have reached an agreement to lift travel restrictions.
In July 2024, the UAE government announced that it had officially removed the visa restrictions on Nigerians, effective immediately.
