The federal government has reacted to a video clip showing Nigerians that were denied entry to Dubai.
Vanguard had reported how some Nigerians were denied entry to UAE on Wednesday by airport officials despite having valid visas.
Clarifying in a statement on Friday, the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson, Francisca Omayuli, opined that Nigerians who were denied entry had no family members in the country.
“The Nigerian Mission in Dubai has clarified that most of the supposedly stranded Nigerians were issued with family visas, only to arrive in Dubai alone without any family members. Consequently, they were denied entry and advised to return to their country and apply for the appropriate visas.
“However, those persons allowed entry into the country has their family members in the UAE. While those who claimed their family members were on another flight, were told to wait at the airport, pending their arrival.
“The general public is invited to note and be guided that the Government of the UAE has 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.
“It is, therefore, instructive for prospective visa applicants to indicate clearly their visa preferences without any ambiguity and also respect the immigration laws of other countries so as to avoid unwarranted treatments.”
