UAE visa waiver not targeting Nigerians

The UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, clarified on Wednesday that the UAE’s decision to cancel its visa-on-arrival policy was not aimed at Nigerians.

He explained that the UAE has cancelled visas on arrival not only for Nigerians but all other foreign nationals.

Al-Shamsi spoke on Wednesday when he received on a courtesy call the Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

Details of the meeting were disclosed in a statement by NiDCOM spokesperson, Gabriel Odu.

The statement quoted Al-Shamsi as confirming that the UAE has lifted the visa ban on Nigerians as announced by the federal government on Monday.

“He confirmed that the visa on arrival policy has been canceled for all countries, but assured that the new procedures aim to facilitate tourism and ensure the safe return of travelers.

“The Ambassador expressed his commitment to providing the best possible services to Nigerians, with the determined support of the Nigerian government. He also acknowledged the role of the UAE in the safe repatriation of 96 Nigerians free of charge,” the statement said.

On the occasion of his first anniversary as the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Al-Shamsi shared his positive impressions of Nigeria, describing it as a beautiful country with warm people who share similar cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds to those in the UAE.

He expressed his desire to continue collaborating with NiDCOM to strengthen ties between the two countries.

Meanwhile, NiDCOM Chairman Dabiri-Erewa has revealed that 250 more Nigerians will soon be repatriated from the United Arab Emirates.

“Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors for their country of residence and their country of origin, to excel in everything they do and never forget their country of origin. She added that the initiative is aimed at fostering better understanding and compliance with local regulations.

“She also disclosed that 190 Nigerians have been repatriated to Nigeria, with another 250 expected to return soon. She stressed that the actions of individuals in a host country can have a huge impact on the overall image of their home country. She also highlighted the role of Western media imperialism in perpetuating negative stereotypes about Nigerians,” the statement added.

The federal government on Tuesday repatriated a total of 190 Nigerians from the United Arab Emirates.

The returnees were received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at 5:57 p.m. by a joint team of government officials led by the National Emergency Management Agency.

As of October 2023, the FG has repatriated a total of 542 Nigerians from the UAE.

Speaking during a visit to the UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi in Abuja, Dabiri-Erewa said NiDCOM intended to engage and sensitize Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors for the UAE and Nigeria.