Nigerians who travelled to Dubai have raised an alarm on social media that they were being detained at the airport and their passports were seized.
Nigerians Stranded In Dubai
A Twitter user, @dunchichi who was one of the affected passengers, shared a video from the airport which shows Nigerians demanding answers after their passports were seized without explanation.
In the video, some immigrants were seen sitting in an empty area as they waited to know their fate, while was heard telling an Arab man to give back her passport so she can return to Nigeria as she no longer wants to stay in Dubai.
@dunchichi said her passport was later released through the help of her sister who picked her up from immigration after a “tedious process” but other Nigerians who didn’t have anyone in the country were not released.
She wrote, “I’m at Dubai international airport and myself and some tiger Nigerians with valid Visas are being held in a room hours after arriving with no explain and no information on what we can do. Please help me. There’s more than 20 of us.
“This is the situation happening with Nigerians arriving Dubai today 31st August 2022. Detained and our passports siezed. Help!
“If they are sending us back. Then they should send us back instead of holding us here without reason after long flights from different destinations.
“Is it a crime to be Nigerian? How can a visa be issued to you and then you get held at the airport without information. My sister that came to see how she can help is not being given any information either and I have not been able to see her.
“Nigerians should stop visiting Dubai. Cos we cannot be humiliated this way by the same people that issued us visas. Use your money to come and get humiliated. Nah.
“My sister had to go through immigration to get me released. It was a tedious process. Others are still there and I don’t know their status. What happens if you have no family here? Nobody knows what is going on.”
I'm at Dubai international airport and myself and some tiger Nigerians with valid Visas are being held in a room hours after arriving with no explain and no information on what we can do. Please help me. There's more than 20 of us pic.twitter.com/6LpchsoJU2
— Dinchi. (@dunchichi) August 31, 2022
My sister had to go through immigration to get me released. It was a tedious process. Others are still there and I don't know their status. What happens if you have no family here? Nobody knows what is going on. https://t.co/uZJYDOBYWH
— Dinchi. (@dunchichi) August 31, 2022
KanyiDaily had also reported that Nigerians living in Dubai are being forced to leave United Arab Emirates (UAE) as their work permits were not renewed by authorities in the oil-rich Middle East country.