No more! Why Seychelles now bans entry to one nation

The Seychelles is a bucket list holiday destination for many travellers from across the globe. However, Seychelles’ pristine beaches and idyllic waters are no longer available to genuine visitors and tourists from one nation.

Social media platforms erupted in outrage last week following reports alleging that the Seychelles had imposed an entry ban on Nigerian passport holders for holiday or short stay purposes.

Speculations emerged regarding the motivations for the new entry ban.

Some Twitter users linked the entry ban to the perception of drug-related activities by Nigerian nationals, while others highlighted entry restrictions Nigerians faced in different countries.

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SEYCHELLES ENTRY BAN

The country has now banned entry to nationals from Nigeria.

IOL reports that Seychelles Vice President Ahmed Afif told media that the surge in drug trafficking and fraudulent behaviour was the reason for prohibiting Nigerian tourists from entering the island archipelago.

The vice president stated that over the past year, the Seychelles government had noticed a troubling trend that posed a threat to border control and the country’s economy due to criminal activities.

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FRAUDULENT CARDS

Afif mentioned incidents where Nigerians had used counterfeit credit cards at tourist establishments in the island archipelago. This left many businesses on the island out of pocket. Ultimately, this led to non-payment for services rendered by a number of businesses.

“In one case, 62 Nigerians who said they were on holiday used false credit cards, and the money was never credited to the accounts of these establishments.” Afif said per IOL.

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DRUG TRAFFICKING IN THE SEYCHELLES

The island seems to have become a hotspot for drug traffickers.  Afif reports that there has been an increase in the number of arrivals from Nigeria bringing drugs into the country.

“We have seen a clear link between this, with certain people from Nigeria. In the past two weeks, for example, 13 people coming from Nigeria have been arrested when entering Seychelles because they were carrying drugs into the country,” said the vice president.

However, Afif said that Nigerians with diplomatic passports or valid work/resident permits issued by Seychelles would still be able to enter Seychelles.

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