The Minister of Foreign Affairs,
Mr Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday said the Federal Government has engaged the U.S.
government to make the issue of visa issuance less difficult for genuine
Nigerian visitors to America.
Onyeama said this on Tuesday in
Abuja while fielding questions from newsmen on the negative impact the issue of
visa overstay had on Nigerians travelling to the U.S.
The minister expressed concern
that one of the consequences of the visa overstay was the recent suspension of
`Dropbox’ for visa renewal for Nigerians.
The minister said that most of
the unfavourable migrant decisions taken by some countries were triggered by
the negative perceptions about few Nigerians who do not obey the rules of those
countries.
“The issue of migration is a
challenge and such a sensitive topic because the U.S. has just suspended the
`Dropbox for visas renewals.
“And a lot of it is that they
released statistics to show that 10 per cent of people who overstayed their
visas globally are Nigerians.
“Those who do not obey the rule
of other countries’ have more negative impact on those who obeyed,” the
minister said.
He said that there had been those
who were denied visas not because they were not qualified but because of
perception created by those who disobeyed the rules.
“The issue of those who
overstayed their visas is a real issue. We have engaged with the U.S government
over it.
“We are just trying to work
through them and they are looking at various alternative and solutions and to
make less difficult for the genuine visitors and the like.
“Things like you have to have
guarantor or surety and the like, all those things are what they are trying to
apply to really address this issue,” NAN quoted him as saying.
Onyeama added that the ministry
was doing what it could to ensure that the issue of the recent suspension of
dropbox for visas renewal do not affect genuine visitors to the U.S.
“We are doing what we can; they
(U.S. Embassy) told me that notwithstanding the suspension of drop box
mechanism that there would be expedited interview for certain people.
“And that there would be that
flexibility to request for interview that might make it easier for those
seeking visa,” he said.
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