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Nigerians in Diaspora Forum Accuses Foreign Affairs Ministry of Imposing Extra Passport Charges on Applicants in UK
The Nigerians in Diaspora Civic Forum has criticised the Ministry of Foreign Affairs over what it described as the unauthorised imposition of additional charges on Nigerians seeking to obtain or renew their passports through the special passport intervention programme in the United Kingdom.
The Forum said the controversy surrounding the extra fees had initially led many Nigerians to believe that the charges were introduced by the Ministry of Interior.
However, it insisted that available evidence points to the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom as the source of the additional payments.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Christopher Babafemi Akinola, the group expressed concern over what it described as the “constant insensitivity” of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs towards Nigerians living abroad.
According to the Forum, the special passport intervention programme was introduced to provide Nigerians in the United Kingdom with an additional and more convenient avenue to process their passport applications, particularly ahead of the Yuletide period when many Nigerians living abroad are expected to travel home.
The group maintained that the intervention was not created to impose additional financial burdens on applicants beyond the approved passport fees.
It stated that the official charges remain $150 for a five-year passport and $230 for a ten-year passport, excluding applicable bank charges.
“Neither the Ministry of Interior nor the Nigeria Immigration Service has introduced any other charges outside the aforementioned official fees,” the statement said.
The Forum further pointed to the Ministry of Interior’s public position that consultations are already taking place with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the difficulties applicants are currently experiencing and prevent such inconveniences from continuing.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Civic Forum also sought to absolve the Ministry of Interior and its minister, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, of responsibility for the disputed additional charges.
The group explained that while passport issuance within Nigeria falls under the responsibility of the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service, passport services for Nigerians abroad operate under a different administrative arrangement.
According to the Forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes the lead in passport-related consular services outside Nigeria because it controls Nigerian diplomatic missions and oversees consular operations.
It alleged that some of the additional charges being demanded from applicants, including postal orders payable to the Nigerian High Commission, originate from the mission and are not payments remitted to the Ministry of Interior.
The group therefore urged the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to accept responsibility for the situation and provide Nigerians with a clear explanation of the basis for the additional charges.
It also accused the ministry of attempting to shift responsibility for the difficulties being encountered by applicants in the United Kingdom.
The Forum said the obstacles currently facing Nigerians seeking to benefit from the passport intervention programme in the UK “rest squarely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its mission in London.”
The group noted that the passport intervention was conceived by the Ministry of Interior and the Nigeria Immigration Service as a means of reducing the stress Nigerians in the diaspora face when applying for or renewing their passports.
It said the initiative was particularly important for Nigerians planning to return home during the Yuletide season, as having valid travel documents is essential for international travel.
According to the Forum, the intervention has recorded positive results in countries including the United States and Canada, as well as other locations where Nigerians have been able to access the service without the difficulties now being reported in the United Kingdom.
It described the United Kingdom as an exception, alleging that the Nigerian High Commission in London was frustrating the implementation of the initiative.
The controversy has therefore raised questions over coordination between Nigeria’s immigration authorities and its diplomatic missions abroad, particularly regarding the fees applicants are expected to pay and the agencies responsible for collecting them.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Civic Forum called for urgent collaboration between the Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian High Commission in the United Kingdom.
It said such cooperation was necessary to ensure that the passport intervention programme achieves its original objective of providing Nigerians abroad with a convenient, transparent and stress-free means of obtaining or renewing their passports.
The Forum also urged the relevant authorities to resolve the disputed charges without further delay and ensure that Nigerians in the UK are not subjected to what it considers unnecessary financial and administrative burdens.
The group maintained that Nigerians in the diaspora deserve clarity regarding the official cost of passport services and should not be left confused over which government agency is responsible for additional charges.
The statement was signed by Christopher Babafemi Akinola, spokespe
rson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Civic Forum.