Following the lifting of the visa ban on Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates Authorities has elevated its visa charge by over 300 per cent, which has been condemned by air travellers within the nation.
Expressing anger over the event, a traveller on the worldwide wing of the Murtala Muhammed Worldwide Airport, Lagos, Rose Aikigbe, stated “It is a clear indication that the UAE authorities doesn’t need Nigeria of their area. How a lot is the UK taking? Why is the quantity so out of attain?
“I feel the Nigerian authorities must do extra engagement with the federal government of the United Arab Emirates, please allow them to do one thing to this hike.”
Additionally, a father of three, Adejare Adebukola, who claimed to have two youngsters keen to check in Dubai, begged the federal government to behave on the hike to save lots of his youngsters’s dream.
“If the federal government refuses to do one thing about this hike and the UAE authorities additionally stays adamant, I’m sorry my youngsters whose goals are to check in Dubai should have a change of thought.”
On X, MAYOR @Enokeran2016 stated, “You suppose FG fixed solicitation was for mere Nigerians? The fixed attraction from the Nigerian authorities to elevate journey bans to the UAE seems to primarily profit rich people and politicians looking for a haven for his or her ill-gotten wealth, fairly than extraordinary Nigerians.”
NEFERTITI with X deal with @firstladyship said, “It’s apparent the UAE don’t need Nigerians. They reluctantly unbanned the Nigerian passport however slammed a hefty N640,000 on Nigerians.
“Guess what? The cash is nonrefundable & has an expiration date. That is see end.”
The Minister of Info and Nationwide Orientation, Mohammed Idris, introduced the lifting of the ban whereas briefing the State Home correspondents on Monday after the Federal Govt Council assembly presided over by President Bola Tinubu.
Idris stated the Federal Authorities and the UAE authorities had reached an settlement vacating journey restrictions imposed on Nigerians with rapid impact.
The minister revealed that Nigerian passport holders can now journey to the UAE with none type of hindrance. He additionally requested Nigerians looking for data on the up to date UAE visa situations can go to documentverificationhub.ae for additional particulars.
He stated, “I can let you know that the settlement has been reached and efficient from at this time (Monday), Nigerian passport holders desiring to journey to the UAE are ready to take action.”
Our correspondent noticed on the United Arab Emirates doc verification web site
that candidates had been required to pay N640,000 as non-refundable utility charges for visas.
In the meantime, our correspondent gathered that earlier than the visa ban, the charge was $100, amounting to N155,500, utilizing the forex change of N1,555/$.
The hike of the visa charge to N484,500 signifies a 311.58 per cent rise.
The N640,000 charge doesn’t assure a visa to UAE because the issued Doc Verification Quantity will solely be legitimate for 14 days of issuance or as soon as the visa utility has been processed by the visa utility division.
It is going to be recalled that the UAE imposed the visa ban on Nigeria in reference to a number of diplomatic disputes.
Moreover, Dubai’s Emirates Airline halted flights to Nigeria as a result of the Central Financial institution of Nigeria couldn’t remit an estimated $85 million in income to the UAE.
In June, following a number of conferences with the UAE authorities, the Federal Authorities assured Nigerians that the visa ban would quickly be lifted. Throughout the identical month, the Nigerian authorities introduced that it had paid 98 per cent of $850m.