The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has commenced enforcement operations targeting foreign nationals who have overstayed their visas or breached entry conditions.
The clampdown follows the end of a five-month amnesty window, which ran from May 1 to September 30, allowing affected individuals to regularise their stay without sanctions.
Akinsola Akinlabi, the spokesperson of the NIS, confirmed the development in a statement released on Tuesday.
“Now that the amnesty period has ended, enforcement actions will commence nationwide against foreign nationals who have overstayed their visa or violated their entry conditions,” Akinlabi said.
The categories affected include holders of expired visas on arrival, expired single or multiple-entry short visit and business visas, as well as those with expired Comprehensive Expatriate Residence Permits and Automated Cards (CERPAC).
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According to the NIS, sanctions for violators range from overstay fines of $15 per day to removal from Nigeria and varying entry bans.
Foreigners who overstay less than three months may face removal, fines, or a two-year entry ban, while those who remain beyond three months but under a year risk a five-year ban. Offenders who have stayed beyond one year could face a 10-year or even permanent entry ban.
The service stressed that the measures are aimed at safeguarding national security, promoting lawful migration, and ensuring transparency in Nigeria’s immigration processes.