April 1, 2024
Nigeria and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), despite having existing diplomatic relations as far back as 2007, are not having it good in recent times no thanks to a lingering ban on work permit and visa for Nigerians, This has left many Nigerians resident in the Arab country stranded amidst uncertainty over the resolution of the issues.
For almost two years now, members of the Nigerian community in the UAE have been living in uncertainty and apprehension over a new the policy of their host country which has made it difficult for them to secure jobs. The implication of the work permit ban, according to them, is broad for many of them, especially those who spent years living in the country.
Daily Trust reports that With the ban, many of the residents spread across the various regions like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, among others, have either lost their jobs or lost opportunities for better employment in addition to facing undue stigmatisation on account of their nationality.
“In 2023, some of my friends got jobs in my company using the tourist visa which lasts up to three months with the hope of changing the visa status before the three months expire. Towards the end of June, they tried to apply for a visa but it was not going. We thought it was a temporary glitch which would be resolved within a month but this dragged on until October and people were left with no option than to return to Nigeria.
“In my company, I was stopped from working because I could not renew my papers. I remember some of my friends who went to the embassy but they couldn’t hear anything. We thought the problem was applicable to new entrants coming in but after one or two months, we discovered those of us who are already here cannot renew our passports.
“Since early 2022, nobody can say he got a job in any company and he was able to process his visa,” Babalola Soderu, one of the Nigerians resident in the UAE, said.
Tinubu’s diplomatic shuttles
It has been six months since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a diplomatic shuttle to the UAE which was widely applauded by many Nigerians.
Tinubu first visited in September and was also there in December 2023 for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 28) where he also used the opportunity to meet with the UAE authorities on the need to resolve the pending diplomatic row.
But as of today, the row which has seen UAE carriers, Emirates Airlines and Etihad out of the Nigerian routes, has dragged on. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the two countries have embarked on a back-and-forth fight after the lockdown with both countries disagreeing over the COVID-19 travel requirements. The federal government in 2021 suspended Emirates Airlines and in retaliation the UAE later barred Nigerian travelers from visiting Dubai.
After this was resolved, there was the 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, the UAE’s prime airport.
But after the strained diplomatic relationship which characterised the post-pandemic travel resumption, the unresolved issues around the Emirates’ trapped funds have worsened the lingering crisis as Emirates suspended all flights to Nigeria as far back as October 2022, citing $85 million trapped funds as reason for its action.
The authorities of the UAE also followed with a visa ban on Nigerians and other African countries but the ban has been lifted in those countries while the issue with Nigeria is yet to be resolved.
In UAE, we are still in pandemic – Nigerians
Following these issues, Nigerians living in Dubai have cried out over discriminatory practices against them which they attribute to the lingering diplomatic row between the two countries. They called on President Tinubu to urgently resolve the row so they can continue to live their normal lives in the UAE as free citizens not hampered by work permit or visa ban.
During a teleconferencing with Daily Trust, the affected Nigerians voiced out their concerns, lamenting that the diplomatic shuttles recently made to UAE have not changed anything. They said the president must act decisively to resolve the lingering issues of work permit and visa ban in addition to clearing the Emirates Airline’s trapped fund. In addition, they complained of experiencing hiccups in renewing their passports.
Mr. Shedrack Iditola, who resides in Dubai, said many Nigerians are dying and losing their jobs over the development in the UAE. He said the issue of Emirates’ trapped fund was the genesis of the current crisis.
“The trapped fund was the cause of this because after sometime, there was a total ban on visas. We all cannot renew our visas; people in Nigeria cannot come here, people here are losing their jobs because Nigeria was removed from their system. Since then, we have been in this mess; people are dying, people are sick and they can’t go to the hospital because when you don’t have a valid visa, you would be scared to go to any government facility.
“We know there are diplomatic issues that the two governments are supposed to handle but the main issue is the Emirates’ Airlines trapped funds. Nigerians in the UAE are really suffering for this.”
Dickson Okezue said since the ban on work permit in June 2021, many Nigerians who got good paying jobs were denied the opportunities.
“I got into the country in June 2021, luckily for me I was able to secure a job that month and when I got that job we started hearing rumour that they have banned work permits. I didn’t know what a work permit was. I wasn’t comfortable with the job I was doing. Eight months later, I got a better job and resigned. When I got a better job, the new company told me to cancel my visa so that they could get a visa for me. I cancelled but up until this moment, I have not gotten a visa because of the work permit ban.
Work permit is the most important government document in the UAE and it is connected to all their visas except tourist visas.”
Osikoya Nurudeen said that the situation had turned many of them to beggars.
“As I am speaking with you, the person who facilitated my visa to Dubai is currently in Nigeria because of visa issue. He is stranded in Nigeria. Nigerians are on the streets begging for money. It is not easy,” he said.
They said many of the residents who had been living in the UAE for years had to relocate their families because they can’t go to school or work while businesses of Nigerians have been impaired because there are no Nigerians to patronise them.
Over 200 people have lost jobs
Enifome Elijah on her part said more than 200 people had returned to Nigeria after losing their jobs due to the work permit ban. She disclosed that more than 50 people in her area alone had lost their jobs because their companies could not renew their documents.
“If they can’t renew your documents, they just buy a ticket for you and you go back. Our suffering is pro-max. You can’t get a part-time job or anything. We are suffering here yet some of our government officials are making negative comments about us. It is really frustrating.”
30-day challenge
One of the leaders of Nigerians in the UAE, Citizen Oluwatosin, said the situation had gotten so bad that many Nigerians who attended interviews were denied jobs because of the current ban.
He also debunked claims of Nigerians committing crimes in the country, saying the UAE legal system is potent enough to arrest any criminal.
He disclosed that they have started a 30-day challenge this week to prevail on the Nigerian government to address issues with the UAE. He called on the federal government to make the business environment in Nigeria conducive for UAE businesses.
He added that the challenge is also designed to project Nigerians in the UAE in a good light.
Oluwatosin said, “We plead with the Nigerian government to look into this issue and prioritise the well-being of Nigerians in UAE. We should move from talking to action. As I am talking to you, Nigerians in the UAE are still in a pandemic. Work is on lockdown, visa is on lockdown.
We also appeal to the UAE to consider us and look at the fact that Nigerians have been very productive, contributing to the economy of the UAE and working towards achieving the dreams of the founding fathers of UAE in different sectors.”
-agency report
