Abuja (Nigeria): The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) says it has commenced enforcement action nationwide against foreign nationals who overstayed their visas or violated entry conditions in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja, the Service’s Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Akinsola Akinlabi, stated that the action followed the expiration of the Federal Government’s Expired Visa Initiative (Amnesty), which ended at midnight on Sep. 30.
The amnesty programme was announced in July. 5, allowed foreigners with expired immigration status to regularise their stay in Nigeria without penalties.
Akinlabi said that the enforcement exercise, effective Oct. 1, would target categories of foreigners.
This, he said, included holders of expired Visa on Arrival (VoA), holders of expired single and multiple-entry short-visit or business visas, as well as individuals with expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Automated Card (CERPAC).
Akinlabi said that foreign nationals found to have violated Nigeria’s immigration laws would face sanctions, including payment of overstay penalties, removal from the country, and possible restrictions on future entry into Nigeria.
He also outlined applicable overstay penalties and entry restrictions as follows:
“Less than three months of overstay attracts removal, a fine of 15 dollars per day for each day overstayed, or an option of a two-year entry ban.
“Overstaying between three months and one year attracts removal, 15 15-dollar-per-day penalty or a five-year entry ban.
“Overstay of one year and above attracts removal and a 10-year or permanent entry ban, “he emphasised.
The SPRO reiterated the Service’s commitment to ensuring lawful migration, safeguarding national security, and promoting transparency and efficiency across all immigration processes.