The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has raised the alarm over the plight of some Nigerians living in Baku, Azerbaijan, who live daily in fear of deportation as a result of being denied the opportunity to renew their passports.
SERAP, in an open letter dated February 20, 2015 and signed by its Executive Director, Adetokunbo Mumuni, urged the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Aminu Wali, and the Chairperson of the Diaspora Committee, House of Representatives, Abike Dabiri, to urgently intervene to forestall unwarranted deportation of the Nigerians.
The group asked Wali and Dabiri “to prevail on the appropriate embassies and foreign ministry officials to move swiftly to renew and release the passports of the Nigerians affected.”
It said the call followed a letter it received from the Nigerian citizens, who said they were being arbitrarily denied their right to nationality by the Embassy of Nigeria in Tehran, Iran.
The embassy had allegedly refused to honour the application for the renewal of the affected persons’ international passport.
The Nigerians in Baku were said to have explained that between August 31 and September 1, 2014 they participated in an e-passport exercise conducted by two Nigerian immigration officers under the watch of the Nigerian Ambassador to Iran, Alhaji Tukur Mani, and one other embassy officer.
They said that though every adult participant paid $150 while every child paid $120, the embassy had however “failed and/or refused to issue them with their passports.”
SERAP quoted the President of the Azerbaijan chapter of the Nigerians in Diaspora, Nick Nwolisa, to have said, “Nigerians residing in Azerbaijan are left to their own fate. Some of the Nigerians here are on the verge of losing their jobs because without a valid passport you can’t get a residence or working permit.
“Most would be wandering the streets of Baku, looking over their shoulder, because with an expired legal permit, you are a target of the Immigration officers who are so bent on deporting Nigerians. Some would be expelled from school and can’t continue with their studies. We have been basically on our own here and the situation we are in now is actually a matter of urgency and desperation.” Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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This happens everywhere and l wonder what all this Nigerian Ambassadors were doing. You have to travel back to Nigeria to renew your passport and you call it E-Passport. WHAT A SHAME
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