Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission NIDCOM, has spoken up on why some Nigerians with valid visas were turned back at the airport by UAE authorities
Two days ago, some Nigerians took to Twitter to call out the UAE authorities for turning them back at the airport despite having valid visas. Videos of the disappointed passengers were shared online.
In a post shared on her Instagram page this morning, Mrs. Dabiri-Erewa stated that the UAE authorities recently released new guidelines for visa applications for people under the age of 40. She said many Nigerians now try to circumvent the guidelines by applying for “ family visas,” but when they get the family visas, they still travel alone, and this is why are being turned back at the airport.
She also mentioned that six months genuine bank statement, accommodation details, as well as a return ticket, must be produced on arrival, and that passengers without these materials are being turned back.
”Recall the recent warning issued a while ago.
The UAE government has now introduced a new visa regime and has stopped issuing tourist visas to persons under the age of 40 years, except for those applying for family visas.
However, to evade the new visa rules, some applicants request “family visas”
However, on arrival some travel alone and arrive without family.
So they are turned back from the airport. Also the UAE authorities demand;
1. Return ticket,
2. Valid 6 month Bank Account Statement and
3. A valid Residence Address.
There have been quite a number of Nigerian passengers turned back from the UAE airport in the last few weeks.”
She also shared a video from an interview she granted a while back explaining the new UAE visa regime