A Nigerian professional, Mr. Michael Bassey, has appealed to the Federal Government and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) for urgent help after he and his family were left stranded in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to visa and work permit restrictions.
Bassey, an indigene of Ikot Akpa Ekpuk Ndiya in Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State, said the restrictions have left him unemployed, financially drained, and unable to provide for his family.
He explained that he began working legally in the UAE’s oil and gas sector in 2015 and held several positions in reputable companies, including Zakum Development Company, ADNOC Logistics and Services, and Al Jaber Group.
In 2022, he received a promotion offer through DULSCO to work as a Supervisor of Logistics, Shipping, and Warehouse. However, his visa applications were rejected multiple times, and he was later informed that Nigerians were no longer being issued work permits or residence visas.
“For over three years now, I have had no valid visa, no salary, and no job opportunities. I have spent all my life savings, and my family’s survival is at risk. My children’s education has been disrupted, and we struggle even to access medical care,” Bassey said in a public plea on social media.
Bassey called on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, NiDCOM Chairperson Rt. Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, and his local representative, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Ukpong Udo, to intervene either by resolving the visa issues or assisting his family’s return to Nigeria.
He also urged the Federal Government to tackle the wider problem of work permit restrictions affecting Nigerians in the UAE, describing it as a humanitarian crisis for affected families.
