1,681 foreigners denied visas to Nigeria in 2021 –Minister

In 2021, the Nigerian Immigration Service tracked 1,579,667 passenger movements into and out of the nation, the Saturday PUNCH said.

A total of 163,091, 993,508, and 195,219 travelers entered the nation via land, air, and water.

No fewer than 177,352 people left the country for departure, 1,093,518 did so by air, and 88,459 did it by sea.

These were mentioned in a paper released by the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, in September 2022. Our correspondent saw a copy of this document on Friday.

The document partly read, “Immigration in 2021 recorded a total of 1,579,667 passenger movement. This is made up of arrival by land, 163,091, air 993,508 and sea 195,219. Departure by land was 177,352, by air 1,093,518 and sea 88,459.”

The minister also said the service denied no fewer than 1,681 applicants visas to the country.

He, however, did not state any reason for denying the applicants visas in the document.

“Within the same period, 148,711 applications for Nigerian visas were received, out of which 147,030 were approved while 1,681 applications were rejected.”

Aregbesola stated that the NIS issued a total of 2,811 official and 895 diplomatic passports among others in 2021.

“Same last year, the NIS issued 1,041,537 standard Nigerian passports to Nigerians at home and abroad that applied for them. It also issued 2,811 official and 895 diplomatic passports, 14,214 Emergency Travel Certificates and 150 refugee passports,” he said.

GOGAN TV