The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has declared that Nigeria will no longer approve expatriate quotas for companies operating in the country that request foreigners to take up job roles easily handled by Nigerians.

He said the act of hiring foreigners for jobs that Nigerian youths are capable of and ready to do is anti-development and will no longer be tolerated.

The minister stated this over the weekend in Lagos while addressing members of the Organised Private Sector and other stakeholders on various reforms being introduced by the Ministry in the Nigeria Immigration Service.

He cited examples such as drivers, cooks, and waitresses, insisting that such requests would no longer be approved by the Nigerian government.

According to him, ?Let us stop asking for quotas for people we have in abundance in our country.

?Don?t ask for quotas for drivers, cooks, waitresses, and many other semi-skilled or unskilled roles that Nigerians can fill.?

?It is even embarrassing when employers request foreign drivers or waitresses, as if those foreigners know Nigerian roads better than the Nigerian youths who live here.?

?So now, you can only request quotas for skilled workers who are not available in the country and for Nigerians to understudy them as a way of transferring knowledge.?

?Similarly, you cannot bring someone who, for example, is a secondary school leaver and label them an expert to be understudied by Nigerians who have higher qualifications and greater knowledge in that field.?

?To also say they are still being understudied for 10, 15 years or more is unacceptable.?

?So, we must stop all those kinds of requests. Nigeria is not an experimental ground.?

?Even though it is the right of a company (not an individual) to request expatriate quotas, they can only request reasonable quotas?not for roles that are already abundantly available in Nigeria.?

He pointed out that with a population of about 230 million, Nigeria has approximately 70 percent of its citizens under the age of 30, with great potential and willingness to contribute meaningfully to the economy.

The minister noted that this new directive is part of broader reforms being implemented by the Ministry and will take effect from May 1, 2025.

The policy, termed the ?New Expatriate Administration System,? includes the introduction of a new electronic visa (e-Visa) system, automated landing and exit cards, a revised expatriate quota system, an upgraded Combined Expatriate Resident Permit and Alien Card (CERPAC), expatriate comprehensive insurance, a temporary resident visa, and a temporary work permit, among others.

Under the new visa regime, applicants will be required to complete visa forms, upload necessary documents?such as passports, return tickets, and hotel reservations?and make secure payments, all electronically.

Despite this automation, the minister clarified that in-person interviews will still be required for standard visa applications.

The existing visa-on-arrival system, which he described as vulnerable to corruption and influence-peddling, will be replaced by the e-visa system, which will be processed within 48 hours.

He also explained that with the new CERPAC?Nigeria?s work and residence permit card?applicants will no longer process the card manually.

Instead, it will be done online, with fees varying based on the length of stay.

According to him, this new system will also make it difficult for foreigners with criminal records to bypass checks, as the process is integrated with Interpol for tracking.

Employers will also be held accountable for immigration violations, not just the individual foreign workers.

?No expatriate can change jobs or companies without regularizing their movement, as they will now be tracked under the new regime,? he added.

Tunji-Ojo further explained that the new system includes the introduction of an annual expatriate comprehensive insurance policy, particularly to cover the cost of repatriation when necessary.

He lamented that the ministry often exceeds its budget to cover these costs?funds that could have been better used for infrastructure development.

?So, under this scheme, the insurance company will cover repatriation costs for immigration defaulters.

?That?s how it?s done globally, making the presence of foreigners beneficial to host countries,? he said.

Additionally, the minister highlighted the newly automated landing and exit card system, which replaces the outdated paper format and is intended to make the process easier and more effective.

He noted that all automated processes will help track those who overstay and ensure they face consequences.

According to him, anyone who overstays will pay a fine of $15 per day.

Overstaying for six months attracts a five-year ban; one year results in a 10-year ban.

He added that some individuals claim to be visiting Nigeria for two weeks but end up staying and working for 30 years?something that must stop.

However, while implementation of the new reforms begins on May 1, the minister said a three-month moratorium will be granted to allow expatriates to regularise their status before strict enforcement starts in August.

He therefore appealed to all foreigners and prospective immigrants, saying that while Nigeria is hospitable and accommodating, they must comply with the rules?just as they would in their own countries. (Nigerian Tribune)

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