Abuja – The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) says The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has arrested about Eight Hundred 800 Nigerians residing illegally in the country.
NIDCOM said that the Nigerians were arrested in a massive clamp down on illegal residents which started in October 2022.
It said that they were arrested and detained for various offences, particularly Consular issues .
“Though , the Nigerian Embassy in Saudi is intervening in this matter , NIDCOM urges Nigerians to
resist breaking the laws of other countries.
“Nigerians travelling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia without proper documentation are advised not to do so as Saudi authorities have heightened a clamp down on irregular migrants.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has about Eight Hundred (800) Nigerians
arrested and detained for various offences particularly Consular issues,” NIDCOM said.
It said its attention was brought to the plight of the arrested Nigerians through a communication from the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation of Saudi Arabian authorities intensifying crackdown on undocumented foreigners in their Country.
“The Letter stated that Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has between October and
December, 2022, intensified joint operations across the Country targeted at riding the Kingdom of undocumented irregular migrants.
In the Communication to the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Saudi
Arabian government noted that about Forty Five Thousand, Four Hundred
and Fifty Eight (45,458) foreigners ranging from violation of residency
rules, illegal border crossing attempts and irregular migrants for labour-related offences are in the country,” the statement said.
In the same vein, NIDCOM stated that President Muhammadu Buhari has appealed to the United
Arab Emirates’ President, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to lift the suspension of the blanket visa ban on Nigerians travelling to the UAE.
It will be recalled that UAE visa ban came as a result of issues associated with alleged criminality and illegalities of some Nigerians living in Dubai.
“The Commission has appealed to Nigerian citizens that if they must
travel, they should travel with proper documentation and legitimately too,” it said.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
