Eight Nigerians were Thursday deported from South Africa over various immigration illegalities.
At 8a.m., a drama ensued at the Boarding Gate A2 of the airport when a Nigerian who had just arrived the country was being forced on a return flight to Lagos, Nigeria. The young man who refused to disclose his identity was refused entry into the country because he had no documented hotel reservation. Yelling at the immigrations officers, he claimed he used his credit card in making the reservation therefore can’t be refused entry into the country.
Premium Times however revealed that he wasn’t innocent and had indulged in such act before now. This was corroborated by a friend of his who was at the scene and identified himself simply as Okechukwu.
He said that “he is fond of doing this. When we went to Australia, he used an expired credit card in booking his hotel reservation and it’s the same thing he has done again. It’s quite annoying seeing him arguing, lying and making this embarrassing scene”.
The young man however threatened the immigration officers, insulting them and warning that “the president of my country must hear this. I’ll report you to him”.
Nigerians at the scene retorted that he stopped embarrassing them with his “foolish act”. Consequently, security operatives were called upon to enforce the young man’s deportation back to Nigeria via an Arik Airline flight W3104.
Boarding for the flight, which ought to have commenced at 8.35a.m. was delayed as a result of the drama but it finally took off by 9 a.m. As part of immigration documentation, every visitor to South Africa must make a hotel reservation especially if the information supplied in obtaining the visa indicates the person is not going to stay with a relation and would be living with the person.
If the visitor would be living with a relative or friend during the period of visit, there are certain documentations to be done and a hotel reservation wouldn’t be needed. As a result of this, it is a general immigration rule that every airline boarding passengers to South Africa ensure that before boarding, their passengers have hotel reservations.
But further findings however revealed that this is not often the case due to shady dealings by staffs of some airlines. For instance, Arik Air staffs were pointed out by passengers to indulge in this act. A staff of the airline in Lagos reportedly aided the young man and other passengers to travel without complete documents.
Unfortunately, any Nigerian passenger who arrives South Africa without complete documentation is sent back through the next available flight. If he is lucky to pass through immigrations without being caught, he stands being arrested if discovered during his stay in the country.
Further information provided by the South African Immigration officers as at 9 a.m. thursday morning indicated that seven other Nigerians alongside the young man were also deported to Nigeria Thursday for similar reasons.
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