Diplomatic Clash: Nigerians Set For Deportation With More than 700 Jobs Lost Over Tussle Between Buhari’s Administration And UAE

Secret Reporters

Nigerians legally working as immigrants in the United Arab Emirates may be facing deportation anytime soon SecretReporters can authoritatively report.

This is as the diplomatic tussle between President Muhammadu Buhari’s led government and the Emirates has continued to decline in weeks following the non-corporation of the Nigerian government over the UAE authorities’ request for Rapid tests in Nigerian airports to ensure that the Covid-19 tests carried out in Nigeria are 90% correct.

Rather than comply with the directive, which was also applicable to other countries, credible sources disclosed that the Nigerian government declined the request and further maintained that Emirates airline, the #1 carrier of the UAE, be suspended from flying to Nigeria while the country put the necessary pieces of equipment in place. The Nigerian government further faulted this UAE Covid-19 flight protocol which mandates all passengers to take PCR test within 72 hours and Antigen Rapid test at the airport before departure and a re-test on arrival.

Following several roundtable meetings, the UAE we learned, agreed in June 2021 on their part to discard the Antigen test at the airport but proposed to fly Nigerians on grounds that proof of quality assurance of PCR test conducted within 72 hours before departure be provided following suspected and heightened number of manipulated PCR test results from Nigeria. The Nigerian government, however, termed these as “Discriminatory Rules” as the negotiation went into a deadlock and the UAE in retaliation allegedly restricting all work permit Visas for Nigerians.

Though the UAE denied placing a ban on Nigerian work permits when confronted by officials and Nigerians working in the country, it was revealed that applications for work permits sent in by various companies and staffing agencies were not allowed by the UAE’s Ministry of Labour.

Sources also indicated that Nigerian’s refusal to comply with the rapid test in its Airports and alligations of Covid-19 certificate forgeries which recently, earned the country a spot on the global blacklist, was the reason why more than 700 Nigerians have since lost their jobs in the UAE with many facing possible deportation if they are not able to come up with funds to pay for fines for overstay after a grace period of few weeks.

SecretReporters further learned that most Nigerian migrants in the UAE have since opted for a three months tourist Visa while keeping their fingers crossed for the tussle between the Nigerian government and the UAE to be resolved soonest.