Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced a nationwide enforcement exercise targeting foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas or breached entry regulations.
Gatekeepers News reports that the action comes after the expiration of a five-month amnesty window, which ran from May 1 to September 30 and allowed affected individuals to regularise their status without penalties.
In a statement issued late Tuesday, Akinsola Akinlabi, spokesperson of the NIS, confirmed that the service would no longer tolerate violations of Nigeria’s immigration laws.
Akinlabi said, “With the expiration of the Amnesty period… enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions.”
He explained that the clampdown will cover categories such as expired visas on arrival, lapsed short-visit or business visas (single and multiple-entry), as well as holders of expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).
According to him, offenders will face sanctions ranging from fines and deportation to entry bans.
He added, “In addition, foreign nationals found in violation of Nigeria Immigration Laws shall be subjected to sanctions, including payment of overstay penalties, removal and possible restriction from future entry into Nigeria.”
Akinlabi outlined specific penalties, noting that foreigners with less than three months of overstay could either pay $15 per day or face a two-year entry ban.
Those who overstayed between three months and one year risk removal, a daily $15 fine, or a five-year ban. Anyone who remains beyond one year may face deportation, a 10-year entry ban, or permanent restriction from entering Nigeria.
The spokesperson stressed that the service remains committed to safeguarding national security, promoting lawful migration, and ensuring efficiency and transparency in all immigration processes.
