Fresh 250 Nigerians to be repatriated from UAE – NiDCOM

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), has said fresh 250 Nigerians will be repatriated from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) soon.

Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the Chairman/CEO of NiDCOM, disclosed this during a visit to Ambassador Salem Saeed Al-Shamsi, UAE Ambassador to Nigeria, on Tuesday.

A statement signed by Gabriel Odu of the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NiDCOM said the visit was to further strengthen areas of partnership and collaboration mutually beneficial to Nigeria and the UAE following the removal of the visa ban by the Arab country on Nigeria.

Dabiri-Erewa stated that NiDCOM intends to engage and sensitise Nigerians in the UAE to be good ambassadors of their country of stay and country of origin, to excel in whatever they are doing and never to forget home.

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She added further that, “This initiative aims to foster better understanding and compliance with local regulations”.

She also disclosed that 190 Nigerians were repatriated to Nigeria, with an additional 250 expected to return soon.

She noted that the actions of individuals in a host country can greatly impact the overall image of their home country.

While confirming that the visa ban on Nigeria had been officially lifted, Amb Al-Shamsi however said that the Visa on Arrival policy had been cancelled for all countries, but assured that the new procedures are designed to facilitate tourism and ensure travellers’ safe return.

The Ambassador expressed his commitment to providing the best possible services to Nigerians.

The UAE had earlier in the week lifted the visa ban on Nigerians.

However, the statement did not indicate if the repatriation of Nigerians from the country was part of agreement reached with the Nigerian government before lifting the visa ban.