FG has set up a task force to identify expatriates with fake permits.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has come to the awareness of the indiscriminate abuse of expatriate quota applications by companies under operation in Nigeria and has therefore organized a task force mandated to collect all taxes from firms that are defaulting, from 2019 to date. The task force is also assigned to audit every expatriate quota application within the same period and identify those who possess fake permits and are employees in those companies, verifying compliance of expatriate quota by companies and certifying the contact details of every expatriate in Nigeria. While auditing, the task force will identify all expatriates that have, through the exceeding of the seven years maximum approval, abused their stay in the country. Asides that, the panel is saddled with the responsibility of authenticating the personal taxes of all expatriates in the country.
According to the Minister of Interior Affairs, Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, during the inauguration of the task force in Abuja, stated that the Federal Government duties that would be delivered by the body is only a step towards protecting the Nigerian economy and monitoring the safety and activities of Nigerians, but never with the obligation to witch-hunt anyone. He further described the expatriate quota as a global best practice that is adopted by countries to protect their economies and aid the stimulation of development through healthy relationships with other nations.
Expatriate quotas permit the bringing in of high-level skilled manpower.
This panel, although firstly inaugurated on December 1, 2020, was relaunched on August 22, 2022, due to some developments that brought about the expansion of the membership of the task force. It is a means of spreading innovations and developments around the globe with the aim of regulating social and cultural interactions. With the right administration, it breeds healthy economic, social, and cultural relationships among nations. Likewise, it enables the effective documentation of the presence and activities of foreigners, while guaranteeing their protection and wellbeing.
Expatriate quotas are an issuance to foreign and sometimes Nigerian firms that permit the bringing in of high-level skilled manpower that is not readily available in the country. The validity of the permit lasts until two years, when it is firstly issued, but is renewable cumulatively for a maximum of 10 years. After the expiration of the permit, the expatriate is expected to return to his or her country. Prior to the return, a minimum of two Nigerians must have been groomed to take over from the expatriates.
The policy attracts investments in the country’s economy.
The adoption of this policy has attracted investments in the country’s economy and has enabled the development of high-level manpower. Technology transfer is also assured, if the grooming of Nigerians is properly done. Also, according to President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise to ensure the provision of 100 million job opportunities for Nigerians, the policy serves as a strategy towards its achievement. Foreigners are permitted to come along with their own people to incentivize foreign investments and job creation.
However, the government has noticed abuses and gross violations of the policy. Some of the abuses include the employment of expatriates by companies without approval from the ministry, reports of companies acquiring fake permits for their expatriates, non-commitment of companies to groom Nigerian understudies, recruitment of fewer than required understudies with non-commensurate remunerations, unlawful transfers of approvals between companies and expatriates, default to ensure the training of Nigerian understudies to meet up with the standard of the expatriates.
Violation of the expatriate quota could lead to resentment between nations.
There is also the issue of expatriates staying in the country and in their jobs beyond the maximum of 10 years, as approved in the permit. If care is not taken, these abuses would bring about adverse results of lopsided and imbalanced relationships, foreign domination, and unfavorable development of the host country’s personnel and economy, which eventually creates a dependency syndrome. When the consequences begin to surface, issues of xenophobia, resentment, and many more would be birthed, which the nation, according to the minister, is trying to avoid.
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When companies engage themselves in expatriate quotas which are not genuine, don’t they know they will later be figured out?
I hope the Federal government deals with all the individuals found culpable in this.
Should this be the time for our government to weak up to this reality in setting up a task force to identify expatriates with fake permits. We don’t have a structured and systematic way of identifying and fishing out fake expatriate permit.
This a welcome development because there are several expatriate with fake permits roaming about freely in Nigeria. It is a pity that the government of the day is just realizing this.
The so called expatriates has seen that anything goes in Nigeria that’s why they can have the effontery to be using fake permits to work here because they know they only need to grease some people’s palm and they get what they want.
My igbo people always say( Whenever you wake up from sleep, that is your morning) Our Government is just waking up to this fake expatriate permit. Is all right, we are all watching and praying for better things.
This is a good innovation there are many expatriates that are using fake permit to work in our country it seems our country is ready to fight them
The expatriates are just taking advantage of our loose end in implementing and maintaining policy on issues like this. Our rules and law needs to be strict to make them follow due process.
These expatriates know the country is lawless and they only need to settle some people to get what they want. Hence, the audacity to use fake work permits here.
These expatriates are taking advantage of the loose end in our country , the government should apprehend all those involved and seize their licenses .
With the use of expatriate quotas, international and occasionally Nigerian businesses are allowed to hire highly skilled workers outside of their home countries. This should be used to the advantage of the country and not against
Expatriate quotas is meant to help stimulate development through healthy relationship with other countries and also help to Create job opportunities. This should not be misused so it will benefit everyone
The expatriates are just taking advantage of the current situation and think they can do just anyhow
Rules and regulations should be strict to make them follow due process forcefully!
The expatriate stay abuse has been in existence for long because of the people or agency that were responsible to do the evaluation has refused to do their work maybe because of the company involve or high corruption level of those agency responsible to do the job and it’s very bad for any nation economy
A lot of expatriates are living in the country with expired permits and it’s good as the government wants to fish them out.
The task force should identify all expatriates who have abused their stay in the country by being there for longer than the maximum permissible number of years, which is seven, and penalise them accordingly.
In order to identify and prosecute those individuals who are working in the nation illegally, there must to be a commission that is in charge of validating the individual tax returns of all expats.
The responsibilities that would be carried out by the organisation are only a first step toward preserving the economy of Nigeria and monitoring the safety and activities of Nigerians.
The policy acts as a plan for working toward the fulfilment of the goal. In order to encourage international investments and the development of new jobs, it is permissible for foreigners to come together with their own individuals from their own country.
It is standard practise to require an expatriate to return to their home country after their work visa has expired; however, this is not the case in Nigeria, which is problematic.
This action will make it possible to effectively record the presence and actions of foreigners while ensuring their safety and well-being at the same time.
The expatriate quota is a worldwide best practise that is taken by countries in order to safeguard their economy and assist in the stimulation of growth via good connections with other nations.