The Nigerian community in Lebanon is grappling with severe challenges due to the Federal Government’s prolonged delay in renewing passports, worsened by the closure of the Nigerian embassy in the country.
The PUNCH reported on Saturday that this issue, which predates the recent Israel-Hezbollah conflict, has escalated since 2022, leaving many Nigerians jobless or deported.
The crisis deepened in September 2024, when intense cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah resulted in over 1,000 deaths and thousands of injuries within two weeks, as documented by the International Organisation for Migration.
Although a ceasefire in November brought some relief, the passport renewal delays remain unresolved.
According to the president of the Nigerian community in Lebanon, Mr. Roland Aigbovbiosa, Nigerians who submitted their passports for renewal as early as 2023 are yet to receive them, despite persistent follow-ups.
“In Lebanon, if you do not renew your residence and work permit on time, immigration authorities harass your employers. This has made many employers angry, and they’ve stopped tolerating delays. As a result, many Nigerians have been losing their jobs since 2024. Just yesterday, I received numerous calls from people who were sacked because their passports have not been renewed,” Aigbovbiosa said.
The inability to provide renewed passports has left many Nigerians in Lebanon without legal status, exposing them to deportation.
“There are people who have been deported because of this issue. It feels like the Nigerian government has completely abandoned us. The embassy in Lebanon is practically shut down—only the cleaners show up to maintain the premises. Both Nigerians and Lebanese are constantly asking me what is going on, but I don’t have any answers,” he added.
Efforts by the Nigerian community to address the situation have yielded little progress.
“We had an online meeting with the Nigerian Embassy on Sunday, January 5th. They assured us that they were working on it and that everything would be fine. We’ve also emailed the Nigerian Immigration Service, but we haven’t received any reply,” Aigbovbiosa noted.
Patron of the Nigerian community in Lebanon, Prince Adeyinka Omotosho, confirmed the dire impact of the embassy’s inaction, highlighting its closure during the crisis.
“Since the crisis in Lebanon began in September, officials of the Nigerian embassy abandoned the place. Shockingly, no other embassy shut down during this period except Nigeria’s. Many of us haven’t been able to renew our passports for years, and it’s affecting us severely,” Omotosho said.
Recounting his personal experience, he added, “My documents were burnt during the war, and the same happened to many other Nigerians. Yet, when we go to the embassy, no one can assist us. It’s truly heartbreaking. We had a meeting with embassy officials online a few days ago, and they said the Federal Government hadn’t instructed them to return to Lebanon. We’re left wondering why only Nigeria’s embassy remains closed during such a critical time.”
Other Nigerians shared similar frustrations.
“I submitted my passport for renewal in January 2024. I completed the capturing and everything on January 3rd and 4th, and they told me I’ll receive it within three to four months. It’s been over a year now, and there’s no update. They’ve stopped picking up our calls since July, even before the September crisis began,” said Joy Moses, a resident.
“Now, many of us are stuck here with expired documents. Without valid papers, we can’t get jobs, and those who had jobs have lost them. We’re stranded,” she lamented.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has attributed the delays to challenges related to the embassy’s temporary relocation to Cairo during the Israel-Hezbollah conflict.
Ministry spokesperson Kimiebi Ebienfa explained that passport production in Lebanon has been hindered by outdated systems at the embassy.
“Passport renewal is not handled by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but by the Nigerian Immigration Service. At our embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, there is a passport section. However, we were informed that it has been challenging to integrate the old analogue passport system with the current digital version. This difficulty arises because the machines used for capturing and production have not been upgraded with the new software,” Ebienfa said.
He also noted, “Even though there is now a ceasefire, I am unsure if the immigration section in Lebanon has the full staff capacity to carry out the exercise. It is possible that the machines have not been upgraded to accommodate the new digital passport system, or the mission has not been fully reinstated in Beirut following its relocation to Cairo. However, with the current stability in the country, these issues will be resolved.”
Meanwhile, Babatunde Alao, Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Interior, assured Nigerians that the ministry “would work on it.”
