The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has launched a nationwide enforcement operation targeting foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas or breached entry conditions, following the end of a five-month amnesty period.
A statement issued Tuesday night by the Spokesperson for NIS, Akinsola Akinlabi, confirmed that the crackdown began after the amnesty window, which allowed affected foreigners to regularise their status without penalties, officially closed on September 30. The grace period had been in effect since May 1.
“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,” Akinlabi said.
The enforcement targets several categories of visa infractions, including: Individuals with expired visa-on-arrival permits; Holders of lapsed single or multiple-entry short-stay or business visas; Foreigners whose Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permit and Aliens Card (CERPAC) have expired.