The United Kingdom government says it is suspending the existing visa-waiver agreement with all Dominican nationals, including to visit.
The suspension which comes into effect on July 19, will affect the majority of people, including Nigerians seeking to enter the UK.
However, those who booked their travel visa before 3 pm UK time, will still be able to enter the UK without a visa.
There will also be a four-week visa-free transition period for those with confirmed bookings made before 3 pm on July 19 where arrival to the UK is no later than August 16.
TheCable understands that Dominican visitors already in the UK will not be affected by the new requirement for the rest of their visit.
According to the new policy, those who leave the UK will need a visa to re-enter, while citizens of Dominica will now need a visitor visa to travel for up to six months.
Giving reasons for the suspension, Suella Braverman, UK home secretary, said the decision was made due to “clear and evident abuse of its citizenship by investment scheme, including the granting of citizenship to individuals known to pose a risk to the UK”.
Meanwhile, the policy will affect many Nigerians with Dominica citizenship.
Nigeria-Dominica citizenship offers an opportunity to travel to over 46 countries without a visa, including China, Hong Kong, Singapore, the UK and the Schengen countries.
Diezani Alison-Madueke, Nigeria’s former minister of petroleum, had gotten Dominica citizenship after she was appointed commissioner for trade and investment by Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit.
However, with this latest development travelling to the UK has become stringent for Nigerians who have applied through that means.
Read more on how the Dominica citizenship works for Nigerians here
Source: Top Stories
