Homeless Nigerians in UAE beg FG for help, lament risk of jail terms

By Ibrahim Agunbiade 

In search of greener pastures, Nigerians in significant numbers have been landing in Dubai, one of the most populous cities in the United Arab Emirates over a decade only to find dashed hopes forcing them into a new reality of economic hardship.

Most of these victims are now either undocumented or have overstayed their Visa, they invariably have had only the most basic education and are left with poor employment opportunities and as such have no economic power to sponsor their trips back home.

Apart from the seeming hardship Covid-19 brought to these set of Nigerians abroad, their situation took another terrible turn after the United Arab Emirates on July 21, 2020, issued Nigerians whose visas have expired to leave the country before August 17, 2020, or face the wrath of the law.

Some of the affected Nigerians disclosed that they couldn’t afford the evacuation fee.

Hammed Sherifdeen who works at a Filipino restaurant as a waiter, said his salary is AED 1300 (About N161,000) but he lost the job.

He furthered, “I only get two months salary out of four months I used to work for them, and I realized that my Visa was not done last year December, the shop went bankrupt they closed the place since last year December, and since then I have been squatting around, sleeping at bus station sometimes and there’s no help from anybody. I can’t even feed well I just need help to go back to my country”

Another contract staff who identifies himself simply as James said, “Things are now very difficult for us here, we hardly get our salaries paid on time, for me, I can’t afford the evacuation fee, I can only appeal to the Nigerian government to come to our aid.

“For four months now that Covid-19 pressure started, I have not received any salary from my employer, myself and several other Nigerians are now living in fear, we have contacted the embassy for evacuation but the amount required is too expensive.”