Around 800 Nigerians have been arrested and detained in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for various offences related to irregular migration, according to a statement released on Friday by Gabriel Odu, the Head of the Public Relations Unit at the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission.
The Saudi authorities have reported that there are approximately 45,458 illegal migrants in the country, leading to a clampdown on undocumented foreigners since October 2022.
The Nigerian Federal Government has advised its citizens to ensure they have proper documentation before traveling to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, given the recent heightened scrutiny of irregular migrants by Saudi authorities.
The Nigerian Embassy in Saudi Arabia is currently intervening in the matter, but Nigerians are encouraged to respect the laws of other countries.
The President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari, has also appealed to the President of the United Arab Emirates to lift the blanket visa ban on Nigerians traveling to the country. The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission has urged Nigerians to travel with proper documentation if they must travel at all.