Nigerians in Lebanon are grappling with job losses due to the Federal Government’s prolonged delay in renewing passports following the closure of the Nigerian embassy in the country.
In September 2024, large-scale cross-border attacks between Israel and Hezbollah escalated in Lebanon, resulting in over 1,000 deaths and 6,352 injuries in less than two weeks, according to the International Organisation for Migration.
However, a ceasefire deal in November brought relief to the global community.
Despite this, members of the Nigerian community in Lebanon said on Thursday that the challenges surrounding passport renewal predated the Israel-Hezbollah crisis.
They said the issue, which began in 2022, had since worsened, leaving many Nigerians jobless and some deported.
The president of the Nigerian community in Lebanon, Roland Aigbovbiosa, revealed that many Nigerians who submitted their passports for renewal as far back as early 2023 had yet to receive the documents despite repeated follow-ups with the embassy.
He said, “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.”
He explained that the inability to submit renewed passports to employers had made many Nigerians to lose their legal status in Lebanon.
“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.
Aigbovbiosa noted that the leadership of the Nigerian community had been engaging with embassy officials to resolve the issue.
He said, “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.”
The Patron of the Nigerian community in Lebanon, Adeyinka Omotosho, corroborated Aigbovbiosa’s claims, emphasising the dire situation caused by the embassy’s inaction.
“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.
While recounting an ordeal, he said, “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.”
Another resident, Joy Moses, expressed frustration over the delays.
She said, “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.
“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.”
In its reaction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs explained that the Nigerian Embassy in Lebanon was temporarily relocated to Cairo, Egypt, due to the intense war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The spokesperson for the ministry, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said that aside from the Israel-Hezbollah crisis—which has now de-escalated—the machines for passport production at the Nigerian embassy in Lebanon have not yet been upgraded to the latest software required by the Ministry of Interior for the current digital passport system.
He said, “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 has not been upgraded with the new software.
“Don’t forget that due to the war in Lebanon, the Nigerian mission was initially moved from Beirut to Cairo and later returned to Beirut. 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,” he assured.
However, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Minister of Interior, Babatunde Alao, stated that the ministry “would work on it.”
