Onyeama lauds Lebanon’s decision to suspend issuance of visa to Nigerian domestic workers

The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, has lauded the decision of Lebanon to suspended the issuance of visa to Nigerian domestic workers who intend to travel to the country for menial jobs.

Onyeama stated this when he received in audience, the Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Houssam Diab, in his office in Abuja.

The Nigerian Foreign Affairs Minister, however, requested the country to allow Nigeria time to review the labor laws especially as they affect Nigeria and other Africans working in that country.

Chief Onyeama, again commiserated with the Lebanese Ambassador  on the unfortunate explosion in the port city of Beirut which claimed hundreds of lives and destroyed virtually the entire city.

The Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Houssam Diab, said that the visa suspension took effect from the 1st of May, this year, adding that female workers intending to travel to Lebanon for menial jobs will be affected with the visa suspension.

The envoy also said that the Lebanese community in Nigeria and some Lebanese companies doing business in the country assisted in facilitating the return of  the 500 Nigerian workers stranded in their country.

He acknowledged the efforts of the Nigerian Foreign Affairs Ministry and the Nigerian embassy in Beirut in facilitating the safe of the stranded Nigerians.

The Ambassador added that there are about 5000 Nigerian migrant workers in Lebanon, saying that no Nigerian was killed or wounded in the recent explosion that devastated the port city of Beirut.

President Muhammadu Buhari had sent a letter of condolences to the government and people of Lebanon for the explosion.