TheNewsGuru

Tag: Travel Ban

  • Fayose hails president Tinubu over UAE lifting of travel ban on Nigerian travellers

    Fayose hails president Tinubu over UAE lifting of travel ban on Nigerian travellers

    The former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose has reacted to the lifting of travel ban on Nigeria travellers by the UAE government.

    The Ekiti born politician described the devlopment as  heart-warming and very pleasing to the heart.

    The TheNewsGuru.com  reports that presidency announced on Monday that Tinubu and the President of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in Abu Dhabi, finalized a historic agreement, which has resulted in the immediate cessation of the visa ban placed on Nigerian travellers.

    “Resolution of the diplomatic row between Nigeria and the UAE is no doubt heart-warming,” he wrote on X.

    Fayose noted that allowing a diplomatic row that resulted in the imposition of visa ban on Nigerians and suspension of flights to Nigeria by Emirates, since October 2022, is no doubt a sour taste in the mouths of many Nigerians whose businesses are tied to the UAE.

    “Therefore, resolving such a diplomatic deadlock in just one visit to the UAE shows that President Tinubu has come to renew the hopes of Nigerians,” he said.

  • CUBA FLIGHTS: U.S. reverses Trump admin restrictions

    CUBA FLIGHTS: U.S. reverses Trump admin restrictions

    The U.S. Government has announced a historic shift in its policy toward Cuba Monday night, saying that for the first time in six decades it will sign off on an American company investing in a private Cuba-based and Cuban-owned business.

     

    The deal is pending approval by the Cuban government but could open the door for additional American dollars flowing to entrepreneurs in the island nation.

     

    Additionally, the Biden administration said it would authorize flights to Cuba beyond Havana, reinstate the Cuban Family Reunification Parole Program, which allows Cubans to join family members in the U.S. on a temporary basis with the potential for obtaining permanent status, and lift the $1,000 per quarter limit on remittances per sender-receiver pair and allow for donative (non-family) remittances.

     

    A senior administration official said these changes have been in the works for a long time and will be “implemented in the coming weeks,” but “some will take place faster than others.”

     

    The administration characterizes these moves as “measures to further support the Cuban people, providing them additional tools to pursue a life free from Cuban government oppression and to seek greater economic opportunities.”

     

    Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez said that in the wake of the 2021 pro-democracy uprising, the announcement risks sending “the wrong message to the wrong people, at the wrong time for all the wrong reasons.”

     

    “For years, the United States foolishly eased travel restrictions arguing millions of American dollars would bring about freedom and nothing changed,” he said in a statement Monday.

     

    “The regime in #Cuba threatened Biden with mass migration and have sympathizers inside the administration and the result is today we see the first steps back to the failed Obama policies on Cuba,” Florida Sen. Marco Rubio tweeted.

     

    The administration will also “encourage commercial opportunities outside of the state sector” by authorizing access to expanded cloud technology, and e-commerce platforms, as well as explore options to “expand support of additional payment options for Internet-based activities, electronic payments, and business with independent Cuban entrepreneurs,” officials said.

     

    Biden’s admin says it will not alter the Cuba Restricted List, entities with which the U.S. government generally prohibits direct financial reactions, “because they would disproportionately benefit the Cuban military, intelligence and security services or personnel at the expense of the Cuban people or private enterprise in Cuba,” as defined by the State Department, according to senior administration officials.

  • WHO recommends lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions

    WHO recommends lifting COVID-19 travel restrictions

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged nations to lift or ease COVID-19 travel restrictions, saying they have proven to be of little public health value but detrimental for economic growth.

    On Jan. 13, WHO Emergency Committee on International Health Regulations met via video conference to evaluate latest developments in the pandemic situation across the world.

    This is amid the spread of Omicron strain as the meeting also sought to revisit the COVID-19 response measures.

    A statement released by WHO read“ the committee identified the following actions as critical for all countries; lift or ease international traffic bans.

    “They do not provide added value and continue to contribute to the economic and social stress experienced by states parties.’’

    The committee also said the failure of travel restrictions to restrain the cross-border spread of Omicron has proven their inefficacy.

    “Countries should rely on evidence-informed risk assessment when choosing to introduce travel requirements, namely masking, testing, vaccination, and quarantine, and avoid placing the financial burden on international travellers.’’

    “The WHO advised for international traffic to not require proof of vaccination against COVID-19 for international travel as the only pathway or condition permitting international travel given limited global access and inequitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines,” the statement said.

    The WHO also urged states to recognise all vaccines that have received WHO authorisation, particularly in the context of international travel.

    The Agency further requested states to uphold research “to derive the optimal vaccination strategy for reducing infection, morbidity and mortality.”

    As of now, the WHO has approved 10 COVID-19 vaccines, including Covovax, Moderna, Comirnaty, Janssen, Astrazeneca, Covishield, Covaxin, Sinovac and Sinopharm.

    Meanwhile, 10 more vaccines are undergoing review process, including Russia’s Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona.

  • Omicron: Like UK, Canada lifts travel ban imposed on Nigeria, nine other countries

    Omicron: Like UK, Canada lifts travel ban imposed on Nigeria, nine other countries

    Canada announced Friday the lifting of a ban on foreign travelers from 10 African countries, while reimposing testing and warning that the Omicron variant of Covid-19 risks quickly overwhelming hospitals.

    The travel restriction on flights from South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Eswatini, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi and Egypt will end at 11:59 pm on Saturday (0459 GMT Sunday), Health Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told a news conference.

    The restriction had been announced last month “to slow the arrival of Omicron in Canada and buy us some time,” he said. But with Omicron now spreading within Canada it is “no longer needed.”

    Pre-arrival negative PCR tests for all travelers would also be reinstated as of December 21, Duclos said, while repeating a government warning earlier this week that “now is not the time to travel.”

    Officials said laboratory tests have confirmed as of Friday nearly 350 cases of the Omicron variant across Canada.

    The total average daily Covid case count, meanwhile, has jumped by 45 percent in the past week to about 5,000.

    “It is expected the sheer number of (Omicron) cases could inundate the health system in a very short period of time,” said Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam.

  • Omicron: UK defends red-listing Nigeria, says outrage won’t upturn decision

    Omicron: UK defends red-listing Nigeria, says outrage won’t upturn decision

    The UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, has defended the travel ban on Nigeria following the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, insisting that the move was based on science and not discriminatory.

    “I think I can say comfortably, it is not [discriminatory]. When the UK was the epicentre of the Alpha variant, we took some very tough measures ourselves to essentially cut ourselves off and we banned all but essential travels from the UK. So, that was a very tough decision for us,” the envoy told Channels Television in a monitored interview.

    “The UK has been red-listed in earlier stages of these variants; I think when [the] Delta variant took off, we were red-listed by Austria and by France and Turkey. We have not just red-listed, in the first, African countries. So, Pakistan was red-listed, Turkey was red-listed by the UK when we had our previous red-list. So, it is based on an individual deep-diving assessment of each country.”

    According to her, the British Government is aware of the reactions and condemnation from across the world following the move but maintained that the development will not push them to reverse the ban.

    “The reactions have been loud and clear but I don’t want to suggest to anybody that that would change the basis of the decision because that health basis has to be the basis on which the decision has to be made,” she added.

    Liang’s remark, coming barely a week since the UK slammed the ban on Nigeria, contrasts the Federal Government and National Assembly’s position on the matter.

    Information and Culture Minister, Lai Mohammed, had in the wake of the ban described it as discriminatory, calling on the UK government to rescind the decision.

    The minister, who listed efforts by the Nigerian government to curb the spread of the disease including mass vaccination, made the remark hours after his health counterpart, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, faulted the move.

  • COVID-19: FG removes India from restricted countries, imposes travel ban on passengers who shun PCR tests

    COVID-19: FG removes India from restricted countries, imposes travel ban on passengers who shun PCR tests

    The Federal Government has imposed travel restrictions on passengers who shun the COVID-19 Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test.

    Chairman of the Presidential Steering Committee on COVID-19 and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, disclosed this via a statement on Sunday, adding that the restrictions came into effect on September 14.

    He explained that passengers arriving Nigeria must go through the routine port health screening and present electronic or print-out evidence of pre-boarding COVID-19 PCR test and the Permit to Travel Certificate/QR Code.

    Having done so, the passengers must present their international passports for clearance through the Nigeria Immigration Service System’s Migrants Identification Data Analysis System (MIDAS) and proceed on mandatory seven days self-isolation/quarantine in their selected in-country destination.

    “Passengers who fail to show up for this test will face travel restrictions on their passports for at least six months and will not be able to travel abroad for this period. Non-Nigerian passport holders will have their visas revoked,” the SGF said.

    “Passengers are advised to avoid physical interaction with friends, family, colleagues, and other members of the public. Passengers should check their emails/text messages regularly for updates regarding the arrangement for their repeat COVID-19 PCR test from the laboratory of their choice.

    “During this period, the passenger may be contacted by the COVID-19 Response team to ascertain [the] state of isolation, day-7 testing appointment and health status.”

    The SGF also announced that the government had lifted the ban placed on flights coming into the country from India.

    As precautionary measures to curb the COVID-19 in the country, the Federal Government had banned passengers, who visited India, Brazil, South Africa, and Turkey in the last 14 days from entering the country.

    However, the sanctions placed on airlines that convey passengers from restricted countries and travellers who are Non-Nigerians remain.

    Mustapha added, “Non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who visited Brazil, Turkey or South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria, shall be denied entry into Nigeria. This regulation, however, does not apply to passengers who transited through these countries.

    “Airlines who fail to comply shall mandatorily pay a penalty of $3,500 per defaulting passenger; and non-Nigerians will be denied entry and returned to the country of embarkation at cost to the Airline; Nigerians and those with a permanent resident permit who visited Brazil, Turkey, and South Africa within 14 days preceding travel to Nigeria shall be made to undergo seven days of mandatory quarantine in a government-approved facility at the point-of-entry city and at cost to the passenger.”

  • FG adds South Africa to its COVID-19 ‘red list’ for arriving travellers

    FG adds South Africa to its COVID-19 ‘red list’ for arriving travellers

    Nigeria is adding South Africa to its “red list” of countries for which there are stringent restrictions for arriving passengers, officials said during a briefing on Monday.

    Nigeria is introducing the restrictions due to the spread of the Delta variant in South Africa, Chikwe Ihekweazu, the head of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, said. The country joins India, Brazil and Turkey on the list.

    “In Nigeria, we haven’t found the Delta variant yet,” Ihekweazu said during the briefing.

    Non-Nigerian passport holders and non-residents who visited the countries on the list within 14 days are barred entry from Nigeria, while passport holders and residents must undergo a seven-day quarantine in a government-approved facility at cost to the passenger.

    They are also required to take COVID-19 tests within 24 hours or arrival and after seven days in quarantine.

    At the briefing, Faisal Shuaib, the head of the country’s National Primary Health Care Development Agency, said Nigeria is expecting an additional 3.924 million doses of the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine from the COVAX scheme by August 2021, and 29.85 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine through the African Union by September.

    Nigeria received 3.92 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine via COVAX in March, and has thus far administered 3.44 million shots. It is expected to exhaust the current COVAX supply before the end of July.

  • Biden cancels travel ban on Nigeria, Sudan, others

    U.S President Joe Biden on his first day in office issued some executive orders undoing some of former President Donald Trump’s policies.

    Among the 17 executive orders and presidential actions Biden signed on Wednesday were the order to end travel restrictions and immigration from countries including Nigeria, Eritrea, Yemen, Sudan and others.

    “There’s no time to waste,” Biden said before signing the executive orders in the White House.

    “These are just all starting points,” he added.

    The American Civil Liberties Union, a non-profit civil rights organisation, applauded the move calling the travel policy a “cruel Muslim ban that targeted Africans.”

    However, the ban was changed, in part due to legal challenges, and included some non majority-Muslim nations.

    President Biden described the policy as discriminatory and an affront to the country’s values.

    The President has also sent a bill to Congress to overhaul the country’s immigration system, his team said earlier.

    The legislation aims to provide pathways to US citizenship for undocumented people, address the causes of migration and speed up the reunification of families after children were separated from parents at the US border with Mexico.

  • Biden to sign Executive Order to rescind Trump’s travel ban, others on inauguration day

    Biden to sign Executive Order to rescind Trump’s travel ban, others on inauguration day

    President-elect Joe Biden plans to sign roughly a dozen executive orders, including rejoining the Paris climate accord and ending the travel ban on predominantly Muslim countries, on his first day in office, according to a memo from incoming chief of staff Ron Klain.

    He’ll also sign orders halting evictions and student loan payments during the coronavirus pandemic and issuing a mask mandate on all federal property in an effort to either roll back moves made by the Trump administration or advance policy in a way that was impossible in the current administration.

    One of Biden’s most common campaign trail promises was to tackle an issue on his first day in office — a pledge he usually made to either contrast himself with President Donald Trump or highlight just how important he believed an issue to be.

    These promises were made on everything from climate change to immigration to foreign policy, and many are reflected in Klain’s Saturday memo, which was first reported by the New York Times.

    Beyond executive actions in his first days in office, the memo outlines that Biden plans to send Congress a large-scale immigration plan within his first 100 days in office.

    The plan would offer a pathway to citizenship for the millions of undocumented immigrations currently in the United States.

    Biden rolled out his first legislative priority this week, announcing a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that included direct payments to Americans.

    The day after Biden is inaugurated, according to Klain, he will “sign a number of executive actions to move aggressively to change the course of the COVID-19 crisis and safely re-open schools and businesses, including by taking action to mitigate spread through expanding testing, protecting workers, and establishing clear public health standards.”

    And on January 22, Biden will direct his Cabinet agencies to “take immediate action to deliver economic relief to working families bearing the brunt of this crisis,” Klain writes.

  • Saudi Arabia to lift travel ban

    Saudi Arabia to lift travel ban

    Saudi Arabia has decided to lift the temporary travel ban and resume all international flights, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Friday citing a statement from the Ministry of Interior.

    The move, which will come into force on March 31, 2021, includes the following measures:

    1. Citizens will be allowed to travel outside the Kingdom and come back.

    2. The temporary ban on international flights will be lifted.

    3. All air, sea, and land borders will reopen.

    The implementation of the above-mentioned measures will be done in accordance with the procedures and precautions laid down by the concerned committee amid all necessary precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the Kingdom in coordination with the concerned authorities, the statement added.