The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that Nigeria will be integrating its Expatriate Residence Permit and Cards (CERPAC) database to the INTERPOL and other criminal systems globally.
The Minister stated this at an engagement forum with Nigerian business owners on the full automation of the CERPAC process
According to him, the integration has become expedient to ensure that Nigeria is not used as safe haven by global criminals.
“If you know you have a criminal issue, don’t apply for CERPAC. We will get you because we are integrating the SEPAC solution to Interpol 247 and all other criminal systems so that Nigeria will not be a safe haven for somebody that they are looking for all over the world,” the Minister warned.
New CERPAC application process
Dismissing concerns that the government wanted to increase the fee for CERPAC, Tunji-Ojo said there was no such plan, adding that the process had only been changed to become automated end-to-end.
According to him, all CERPAC applications will now be filled out online and payment will also be done online, while the Immigration will review through the back end.
So, you don’t need to go to the bank because we don’t want to give you an excuse for non-compliance.
“That (the process) will go live on the first of May, and applications, all applications for all our services, will be from the Immigration website and the one that deals with the Ministry’s website.
“But what we’ve done is that the one that deals with the Ministry, there will be a link on the Immigration website, and for the one that deals with immigration, there will be a link on the Ministry’s website.
“So, any website you go to, either Immigration or the Ministry, you can navigate and find your way,” he said.
The Minister added that the government will also be holding employers responsible for any infraction committed by their expatriate workers.
“It’s the way it’s done all over the world. It is the employers that we will hold responsible. My business is with you, business owners,” he said.
What you should know
The Combined Expatriate Residence Permit and Cards (CERPAC) is a residence permit issued to foreigners residing or employed in Nigeria, and it serves as proof of legal residence and identity for foreigners in the country.
- Sections 37, 38 and 39 of the Immigration Act 2015 govern immigration matters in Nigeria, regarding Residency, employment and revocation of residence permit in Nigeria.
- Also, sections 11, 12,13, and 14 of the Immigration Regulation 2017 empower the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) to issue resident cards to foreigners seeking employment or residency in Nigeria.
- According to the NIS, the essence of CERPAC is to allow foreigners to live and work legally in Nigeria for an extended period, usually one year or above, subject to renewal.
