THE Federal Government has ordered the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to allow Nigerians in the diaspora to return home with their expired international passports.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, gave the directive in Lagos yesterday.
He spoke while responding to a complaint by a Nigerian-American citizen, Jamui Kasumu, at the Alausa Passport Office, during his unscheduled visit to the facility.
He said Nigerians in the diaspora were free to come back home with an expired or non-expired Nigerian passport.
The minister said no Nigerian needed a travel certificate to come back home, except children, whose parents were Nigerians, but their identities were yet to be established according to immigration rules.
“I am using this medium to instruct all Nigeria Immigration Officers World-Wide to accord Nigerian travellers with expired Passport use such passports to return safely back home henceforth,” he said.
The minister also advised Nigerians in the diaspora to update their travel document ahead of time to avoid rush during emergencies.
