As part of efforts toward effective security of lives and property and preventing terrorist attacks in Edo State, the State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has read the riot act to expatriates and aliens working in the state.
The NIS, in the warning, which was also handed to employers of expatriates, vowed to strictly enforce the new Immigration Law of 2015 and punish any expatriates or company that employ them if the law is violated.
The warning was issued at a stakeholders meeting organised by the NIS, where the aliens and companies were intimated of some of the stiff penalties introduced in the new immigration law.
Top hierarchy of the NIS present at the meeting frowned at refusal of some companies to pay departure and arrival notification fee of expatriates in the state. Only seven companies were said to be up to date in the payment.
Assistant-Comptroller General of Immigration, Zone G, Emmanuel Gbuuga, in his speech urged the foreigners to respect Nigeria’s immigration laws just as Nigerians respect other countries’ immigration laws.
The ACG said it was inappropriate for foreigners to move about the country without carrying their passport, an action he said would no longer be tolerated.
Emmanuel charged foreigners to always carry their international passports with them and stopped making excuses that their international passports are somewhere in Lagos or Abuja.
The ACG said the command was not out to embarrass foreigners, but to make them understand the need to obey the laws.
He warned business owners to only employ documented aliens in the country as a way of boosting security.
Ogbuuga explained that the command want to know what immigrants are doing across the country as well as monitor their activities.
“If you have a guest who is a visitor, he has no business to work here. If you want to work, you must make sure you are regularised within three months, if you want to invite an expert, you are given a temporary work permit.”
“We have a new act that has not been launched. Some of the penalty there are stiff. We are doing it in conformity with other laws. As we respect immigration laws of other countries, we also expect that our laws should be obeyed. I believed that we must operate within the armbit of the laws. Whoever breaks Nigeria laws will pay the penalty.”
Edo Immigration Comptroller, Alana Olusegun, warned expatriates to pay close attention to sections stipulating new penalties when the new laws are violated.
According to him, “There is need for anybody who comes into the country to be monitored especially at hotels. We have been asking hotels to render returns on lodgers.
“Any law made by the service is geared towards security. We want to make expatriates understand the new provisions and new penalties in the Immigration Law. We know why they are here and there is need for us to tell them what awaits anyone that violates the laws.
“The idea of asking foreigners to pay arrival and notification fee is for security purposes. The hoteliers are not security conscious. You give us information and we work on it. It is a very simple practice.”