COVID-19: Nigerian govt grants foreigners with valid visitor’s pass extension

The Federal Government on Wednesday said foreigners with valid visitors’ pass as at the time the nation’s airspace was closed to international flights would be granted government extension at no cost.

According to a statement by the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), government geature is to allow the foreigners to reschedule their flights within a week of the lifting of the restrictions on international travels.

According to reports, many foreigners are at the moment stranded in Nigeria as a fallout of the closing of the nation’s airspace, a decision government took to contain the spread of the dreaded COVID-19 disease pandemic in the country.

Some foreign countries such as the US, United Kingdom and the European Union have operated emergency evacuation of their citizens from the country, while others are still making presentations through their embassies to be allowed to evacuate their Citi who are stranded in the country.

The NIS, in the statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, said the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, approved an order in respect of aliens affected by the closure of the nation’s airspace.

The statement signed by the NIS spokesman, Sunday James, added that all immigrants and visitors holding valid pass or resident permit with confirmed return tickets and scheduled travel within the period of the closure of the nation’s airspace are ti be issued with extensions at no cost.

READ ALSO: People with more than N5,000 in their accounts can’t get COVID-19 palliatives —Nigerian

The NIS statement however added: “Furthermore, anyone that overstays beyond the waiver period whenever the restriction is lifted by the Federal Government is to promptly comply by paying for overstay.”

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