United Arab Emirates has said it will no longer issue visa to Nigerian and 20 other African countries, although it did not give reasons for the ban.
The PUNCH reported that 542 Nigerians were evacuated from the UAE and arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja on Sunday.
An aviation analyst, Wale Shodare, saw nothing wrong with the visa ban, noting that no country would allow crime to fester, especially ones that were perpetrated by foreigners.
“Most of the people that visit UAE have shown why they do not deserve to be in the country.”
He also said as a foreigner in another country, it was necessary to abide by the laws of the host country. He,however, said when found wanting as a law offender, the offender should be sent back to their country.
“There is nothing wrong in searching for greener pastures, but you have to do it within the laws, because if you go to a country as a visitor and you start engaging in economic activities that are detrimental to security and social development of the the host community, what they need to do is to send you back, which the UAE authority has done.”
Shodare further said a lot of Nigerians did not have legitimate means of livelihood, noting that every country reviewed its immigration and visa policy to keep itself safe.
“What they have done before now is to give out a very high restriction on so many Nigerians coming. They restricted people under 40 and unmarried not to even bother to coming to UAE except you are in that country legitimately to either transact business or have resident permit to show that you are engaged in that country.
“We do not blame UAE for taking the decision that they feel will help their country. The UAE has not done anything wrong onto us.”
Meanwhile the President, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Nigeria, Alex Nwuba has expressed belief that Nigeria has so much more than what the UAE has.
However, he questioned the Nigerian government as to why Nigeria can not be as developed as the UAE despite being the centre of the earth, adding the focus should not be on the ban because there are too many other destinations one can go to.
“I’m one of those that believes that what is in the UAE? That isn’t in Nigeria and if it isn’t? why can’t we get we get it? The reason we can’t is we are not dealing with the fundamentals.
“The UAE was a desert some 20 years ago with nothing going on the government set up a policy to say let’s establish emirates to bring everybody to the UAE as a hub.
He added,“That is what we should be thinking about in Nigeria at this visionary issue is secondary. The UAE said we will bring your way to Dubai as a hope to get them to every part of the world we consider ourselves the center of the earth.”
