‘They submitted wrong information’ — S’Arabia addresses deportation of Air Peace passengers

The royal embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja says the visas of Air Peace passengers were cancelled because they did not fulfil the entry conditions of the Arab country.

In a statement on Wednesday, Saudi embassy said the applicable rules and regulations of Saudi Arabia were not met, as they submitted incorrect information.

On Monday, 264 passengers on an Air Peace flight arrived in Jeddah, after leaving Nigeria on Sunday but Saudi authorities cancelled their visas, ordering the airline to take them back to Nigeria.

However, 87 passengers were later allowed to remain in Saudi, while 177 passengers were flown back to Nigeria by Air Peace.

Clarifying the circumstances that led to the visa cancellation, Saudi embassy said upon the passengers’ arrival in Jeddah, it was discovered that incorrect information was submitted to obtain a category of visa that doesn’t apply to them.

“The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Abuja would like to make a clarification about the media reports and Social Media releases concerning the deportation of Nigerian citizens at the point of entry into the Kingdom,” the embassy said.

“The passengers whom were denied entry, and subsequently deported to their initial destinations, didn’t fulfill the entry conditions and requirements in accordance with the applicable rules and regulations of the Kingdom, as they submitted incorrect information to obtain a category of visa that doesn’t apply to them, which was discovered upon their arrival.

“The Royal Embassy would like to stress the importance of following the procedures and laws enacted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for all visitors.

“Furthermore, all passengers should review all the documents to determine their conformity with the conditions prior departing from their countries to the Kingdom.”

Saudi embassy said the procedure was not limited to Nigerian citizens only, but rather to citizens of other countries.