Categories: Tourism

Seychelles Closes its Borders to Nigerians

Seychelles has a population of slightly over 100,000 citizens. Nigeria has a population of more than 213 million.

Seychelles’ main export is tourism. The increase in drug addicts could easily become an essential problem also for legitimate tourism.

The former Seychelles tourism minister Alain St. Ange had a rule for Seychelles to be friends with all and enemies with none. Every nationality was welcome in Seychelles without a visa.

This was before increased drug use in the small Indian Ocean Island became a problem.

In December 2022, Nigeria and Seychelles signed a pact that would enable direct flights between the two countries.

Hadi Sirika, then minister of aviation, and Anthony Derjacques, the Seychelles’ minister of transport, both agreed that the pact would promote the African Union agenda 2063 while enhancing business, and promoting tourism.

Friendship has limits when it endangers an entire country due to Nigerian drug dealers entering the country as tourists and taking over this illegal trade in a small country, which Seychelles has zero tolerance for.

According to information received by eTurboNews, this was the reason authorities in Seychelles said enough is enough.

Social media platforms, especially Twitter in Nigeria, have exploded in anger over the unconfirmed report that the island country of Seychelles has imposed a visa ban on Nigerian passport holders seeking short-term holidays.

The allegations gained grounds when a self-acclaimed travel content creator, Muna fromTravelletter, shared a screenshot of a rejection email claiming to come from Seychelles Immigration.

Travel on Nigerian passports has been restricted in a number of countries.

The reputation of Nigeria as the source of international drug syndicates and scams has incited gang violence and international violence against Nigerians who are mistakenly labeled as a part of Nigerian criminal networks.

Detainment and death of alleged Nigerian drug dealers across the African continent have led to health and human rights concerns.

The war against drugs Seychelles fights is to keep its citizens safe, and drugs out. Seychelles invested too much over the years and built one of the best travel and tourism destinations in the world. Putting this achievement in danger and taking a risk in letting Nigerian drug dealers into the country cannot be an option, even if it punishes legitimate visitor traffic to an extent.

Seychelles should be applauded, and Nigeria should join Seychelles in the fight to stop such criminal activities by some of its citizens.

More on immigration rules for Seychelles go to http://www.ics.gov.sc/

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