The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Austria

  • Spain deports 23 Nigerians for various offences

    Spain deports 23 Nigerians for various offences

    The Spanish Government on Tuesday deported 23 Nigerians for committing various offences in the country, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

    They were deported barely five days after 34 Nigerians were sent home from six European countries for committing immigration-related offences.

    NAN reports that 34 Nigerians were jointly deported by six European countries on June 22 for committing immigration-related offences.

    The deportees were sent back home from Switzerland, Germany, Iceland, Austria, Belgium and Hungary.

    NAN gathered that the new set of deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA) Lagos, at about 6.40 a.m on Tuesday.

    The new deportees, comprising 21 males and two females, were brought back in a privilege style aircraft with registration number EC-IZO.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, the spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    Alabi said that the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    He said that others also on ground to receive them were officials of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    According to him, nine of the deportees, who were deported for drug-related offences, were handed over to the NDLEA.

    He said that two others, who were deported for criminal offences, were handed over to the police.

    Alabi said that the remaining 12 deportees, accused of breaching the country’s immigration rules, were profiled and allowed to go to their respective destinations. 

  • 50 Nigerians deported from European countries arrive Lagos

    Some 50 Nigerians were on Thursday deported from eight European countries for committing immigration-related offences.

    The Nigerians were deported from Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Luxembourg, Austria, Belgium, Spain and Hungary.

    Their deportation is coming barely 48 hours after another set of 40 Nigerians were deported by the Italian Government, for similar reasons.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fresh batch of deportees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMlA), Lagos at about 7.36 a.m.

    The deportees, comprising of 48 males and two females, were brought back in a chartered Privileged Time aircraft, with registration number EC-L20.

    DSP Joseph Alabi, spokesman of the Lagos Airport Police Command, confirmed the development to NAN.

    Alabi said: “this morning, we received 50 Nigerians who were brought back from Europe.

    “We had three males from Switzerland; from Germany, we had seven males; from Sweden, we had four males, from Luxembourg, we had six males; from Austria, we had 18, comprising of 17 males and one female.

    “From Belgium, we had only one female; from Spain, we had five males and finally from Hungary, we had six males, which makes it a total of 50,’’ he said.

    Alabi said all the deportees were alleged to have committed immigration-related offences in their host countries.

    Alabi said the deportees were received by officers of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Police.

    Also on ground to receive them were officials the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) and the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).

    NAN gathered that the deportees were profiled by immigration authorities and were allowed to depart to their various destinations.

     

  • Austria swears first opposition President

    Austria swears first opposition President

    Alexander Van der Bellen was sworn in as President of Austria on Thursday, becoming the country’s first Head of State backed by an opposition party.

    The former Green party chief took his oath of office in parliament having defeated far-right rival, Norbert Hofer, in the December run-off election with 53.8 per cent of the votes.

    The election highlighted voters’ disenchantment with the two centrist parties that have formed a government coalition for the past decade – the Social Democrats and the conservative People’s Party.

    Van der Bellen’s inauguration comes amid a serious crises between the coalition partners, which have given rise to speculation about early elections.

    Social Democratic Chancellor Christian Kern had issued a Friday ultimatum to conservative Vice Chancellor and Economic Minister, Reinhold Mitterlehner, to jointly work out elements of a reform programme to boost jobs, economic growth and education.

    While Van der Bellen’s role as president is largely ceremonial, he will have to designate a new chancellor after the next elections.

    The far-right Freedom Party leads in the most current polls, followed by the two government parties.

    Van der Bellen succeeds the Social Democrat Heinz Fischer, who served as president for two terms

  • Austria strengthens Police intelligence to counter terrorists

    Austrian parliament has adopted a new security bill giving the police intelligence service broader powers to investigate potential terrorists and extremists.

    A report on Wednesday in Vienna explained that under the new law, investigators would be allowed to preventively collect communication and telephone data based on the mere suspicion that someone might plan against Austria’s constitutional order.

    It said apart from terrorists, the law also extended to incitement to violence, as well as the formation of armed ideological or religious groups.

    The report disclosed that the law was supported by legislators from the ruling coalition of Social Democrats and the centre-right People’s Party.

    “The Greens and the far-right Freedom Party opposed the legislation.
    Meanwhile, the privacy activists said the law contains no adequate oversight mechanism to control investigators.”

  • Nigeria, Austria sign MoU on trade

    History was made yesterday in Lagos, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Nigeria and Austria.

    The event, the two governments said, would herald huge investment inflow into both countries.

    Signing on behalf of the Austrian government, the President, Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, Mr. Christoph Leitl, said his government is interested in developing a long standing relationship with Nigeria in areas of the economy, such as power sector, solar energy, mining, machinery and others.

    He said his government would work with the big manufacturing firms and small and medium scale enterprises.

    Leitl hinged the success of the planned trade relations of both countries on the success of the planned energy sector reforms and infrastructure upgrade planned by the present administration.

    The President of the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA), Alhaji Muhammad Badaru Abubakar, said the current global economic strategy adopted by countries, such as the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China); Europe and USA on trade matters underscores the value to promote economic diversification, trade facilitation and international trade cooperation in support of economic growth and poverty reduction. He encouraged the Austrian investors, noting that the economy recorded a robust Gross Domestic Products (GDP) growth of 7.43 per cent in 2011 and 6.58 per cent last year.

    Abubakar said on the average, the annual growth targets were surpassed in eight of the 14 broad sectors highlighted in the transformation agenda.

    The president, who was represented by the Second Deputy President, Iyalode Alaba Lawson, said with this ranking, the nation’s GDP improved from the 44th position to the 36th position.

    He said: “Since we are Austria’s second largest trade partner in Sub-Saharan Africa, all hands need to be on deck to make it work.

    He, however, highlighted some challenges experienced in the country currently relating to infrastructure and electricity, but encouraged them to seek investment in agriculture, manufacturing, solid minerals, oil and gas and tourism.