A group of 400 Nigerians, including 90 females and 310 males, has been deported from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
The deportees were received by officials from the Office of the National Security Adviser, alongside representatives from the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, and the National Emergency Management Agency.
This coordinated effort highlights the ongoing collaboration between various federal agencies to manage the reintegration of deported nationals.
This latest development comes amidst ongoing diplomatic tensions between Nigeria and the UAE, brewing for nearly two years. The UAE imposed a visa ban on Nigerians in 2022, citing various diplomatic disputes.
One of the major issues was Emirates Airline’s halt of flights to Nigeria due to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s inability to remit an estimated $85 million in revenue to the UAE.
However, there has been progress in resolving the dispute. In June, the Nigerian government announced that it had paid 98% of the $850 million owed to the UAE, signaling a step towards lifting the visa restrictions.
The UAE government later confirmed that it immediately lifted the visa restrictions on Nigerians in July.
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