SLAVES IN DUBAI, BUT KING(S) 👑IN NIGERIA

TEMITOPE OGUNBANKE, who recently visited the United Arab Emirates, in this concluding part of his report, presents the different views of Nigerians in Dubai

Another Nigerian who spoke to New Telegraph in Deira said they enjoy their wealth in Nigeria because they cannot afford the luxurious lifestyle in the city of Dubai.

His words: “If you want to go home with good money, you must work very hard here. We don’t usually enjoy here, but anytime we go to Nigeria, we enjoy ourselves. The reason is that in Nigeria, you can have N20 and people will feel that you have N40. If you use Volkswagen Car in Nigeria, people will know that you have a car, but here in Dubai, if you use Limousine or Navigator, nobody will see you because people don’t think about flashy cars here. Some of the exotic cars are used as taxis here and they are usually packed outside.
“We make money and we enjoy ourselves, but we don’t spend lavishly here. If you know where you come from, you will reduce your spending here because you want to go home with big money. We are here because there is no money in Nigeria.

“There is lots of enjoyment in Dubai, but we cannot spend lavishly because we are always careful spending money. We cannot spend in Nigeria the way we are spending here. House is very expensive here and many people cannot afford house here without the support of their employer who usually give out accommodation to their staff. Some companies in Dubai do give free accommodation to staff.”

“Accommodation is very expensive here and we pay about 500 to 1,000 Dirham (N50,000 to N100,000) per month for a single room, depending on the size of the room. Some people can rent a room together and share it based on bed space. For example, in my place, we are six living in the room and we share one toilet and bathroom. Those of us living there cooperate with one another. It is okay for us because we are here to struggle for money.

“For those of us who are here to struggle to raise money, we don’t think of renting flats and if there is need to do so, about six of us can team up together to get a flat. We can contribute the money.

“The indigenes are living comfortably, but we are not enjoying. If any person tells you that he has a house in Dubai, the person is lying. Dubai will build houses and rent out to people. They don’t usually allow foreigners to build here. If you are living here, you must be ready to abide by their rules and regulations.”

Survival strategies

For many Nigerians to survive in Dubai, especially those who are not employed by any organisation, they are involved in different activities; both legal and illegal to survive in a strange land. According to investigation, some of the survival strategies of Nigerians in Dubai include; prostitution, selling drinks, fixing of accommodation, cooking, local restaurant, washing plates at restaurants and market guide, among others.

Speaking to New Telegraph, an anonymous respondent said: “A lot of Nigerians do make money with accommodation here. You can get a room and then allow four to six people to live with you in a room and each of them will pay about 700 Dirham to you monthly.”
Kizito told New Telegraph that: “Some Nigerians in Dubai are into selling of drinks, printing and displaying massage card and doing other negative things to survive.”

The amazing thing about the plight of Nigerians in Dubai is that some people travelled thousands of kilometres just to be washing plates in a restaurant.

During a visit to one of the local restaurants in Deira managed by a Nigerian, this reporter saw some men and women, who are in their 40s washing plates and serving people in the restaurant to earn a living.

Another survival means embraced by Nigerians in Dubai is serving as a market guide. Since so many Nigerians go to Dubai for shopping or trading activities, some Nigerians strategically position themselves in the market and they are the ones who assist visitors who want to buy things in the market. They devote their times and at the end of the activities, they usually smile home with tens and hundreds of Dirham in their pockets.

Mixed feelings of Nigerians in Dubai

Speaking to New Telegraph, some Nigerians in Dubai expressed mixed feelings about their stay in the UAE. While some are comfortable in the foreign land, others are complaining bitterly about what they have subjected themselves to for survival.

Kizito, who arrived Dubai since 2016, is currently jobless and all he does now is to stay in the streets, selling hot drinks and assisting Nigerians who came to Dubai for shopping.

His words: “I don’t have any job now. I am just doing street business. I sell drinks and other stuffs making about 100 Dirham, which is about N10, 000 in a day. I manage myself with 50 Dirham every day and save 50 Dirham. If it reaches like 1,000 Dirham, I will send it to Nigeria and use the rest to eat and pay for house rent.

“Living on the streets is very dangerous because we are always harassed by police. Two days ago, the security officials came here. They beat many black guys and took some away. Some of them are still being detained as I am talking to you. Many of them are in prison; suffering and they cannot come out. Some have been killed.

“I am suffering here because Nigeria is not good; if our country is good, we are supposed to go back to our country. But the reasons we continue staying here is for us to make money and go back to our country and do something better for our life.”

Emeka, who hails from Anambra and also into street business in Dubai, told New Telegraph that surviving in Dubai was not easy. “To survive in Dubai is not easy. For you to survive; it is either you commit crime or crime commits you. Well, with hard work, you can make it.”
He said many Nigerians in the city, especially those without relevant documents and expired visa are living in fear and always look at their back whenever they are working on the streets because of fear of being arrested by security agencies.

“We are living in fear here and anytime you sleep and wake up and still find yourself in Dubai, you have to say ‘Thank you God’ because many of us are always fearful. We are always being afraid of ‘Eke’ (Police). A lot of my friends have been arrested and they are currently in prison for violating the laws of the land. I am in this town to make money and I will surely make my money and go back to Nigeria to enjoy the money,” he said.

While Kizito and Emeka are having it bad staying in Dubai, Sani Mudashiru and Samsondeen Olaitan expressed different views. They argued Dubai was a good place to be for those seeking greener pastures.

Mudashiru said: “Dubai is really okay; if you are coming for job, it is okay. If you are coming for business, it is nice, but the exchange rate is affecting everybody. If you are working here and you have two-year experience and you will still want to stay in Dubai, you will gain more.

“Generally, life is okay here. If you come here for visit, shopping or business, you will enjoy yourself if you come with money. There are a lot of things to enjoy here if you have money and that is why we have many foreigners here.

“I am happy here. It is only those who don’t have work permit that are struggling and suffering here. But if you have work permit, you won’t struggle here. The cost of living here is still okay. I am paying almost $1,000 dollars per month for a room and parlour self-contain and utility bills.”

Olaitan said he was comfortable in Dubai. “When you talk of security, I walk freely because people and let me add that people are friendly in Dubai. The only problem here is for those who don’t have papers.

“If you have 50 Dirham, you will eat very well and be okay. I am taking 1,700 Dirham, which is almost N200,000 if I convert my salary to naira. The company I am working for pay for my accommodation and transport.

“I am very comfortable here. I walk freely; I don’t look back checking whether somebody is following me or not. But there is no security in Nigeria. The cost of living is okay in Dubai. There are a lot of opportunities here and I have learnt so much.”
Olaitan also took a swipe at those Nigerians complaining about being subjected to slavery in Dubai, saying some of them are the architect of their problems.

“Nobody is living like slaves here. Before you get a job here, they will give you your offer letter and when you go through the offer letter, if the salary they want to pay you is okay by you, you will sign it. And if it is not okay by you, you will disagree with it.

“Those struggling here are those who don’t really want to work. They offer some people work here, but they refuse to do it because they want to stay on the streets to do jobs and make fast money. Many Nigerians are in jail in Dubai for committing crime. They caused that for themselves,” he said.

“Some people are involved in drugs, fraudulent activities, selling of alcoholic drinks and prostitution. Some of them are arrested on the streets and a lot of people are in prisons because of the kind of friends they mingle with. They are many here, but I know of four people who are currently in prison.”

Also expressing his views on Nigerians’ lifestyle and living condition in Dubai, Damilola Akinyoode, who is working with a construction company, said: “As a Nigerian, anywhere we are in the whole world, we thrive to survive to make daily means. I don’t think Nigerians are suffering here. We need to adapt to the situation of things. Endurance is important. A lot of people do come here, make mistake and they go back home without nothing. The impression they give to people at home is that Dubai is not okay. But a lot of people are here and they are making money.

“There is nothing like slavery. If you get employed, you are working for what you earn. If you are working, you can use your last effort to please your employer and, at the end of the month, you will get your salary.”

Also speaking to New Telegraph, a Nigerian who doesn’t want his name to be mentioned said: “Some Nigerians here are still squatting since they came to Dubai because things are not fine. Some of them are having difficulties here because they don’t follow the laws of the country. If you have necessary documents, it is good to work here and you will enjoy yourself because companies do not owe their staff here.”

Exchange rates palaver

The exchange rate of one Dirham to naira is about N96 to N100. And this trend is affecting many Nigerians in Dubai and those willing to travel to UAE. The drop in the value of naira, according to those who spoke with this reporter has both negative and positive impact on them.
Mudashiru said his family doesn’t complain whenever he sent money to them in Nigeria because the exchange rate is an advantage to them.

“I came to Dubai in June 2014. When I came to Dubai, the rate of Dirham to naira was about N45 but now, it is about N100. Most Nigerians here are complaining because of the way things are going in Nigeria, but we don’t have any choice at all than to just manage with our family.

“If I send money to my family, they don’t complain. It is an advantage to them. The exchange rate does not affect them. The currency here is still stable but the price has changed in Nigeria,” he said.

But for Olaitan, “People are still complaining in Nigeria whenever I sent money to them at home because the cost of living is still very high.”

Tough to go home

There is a notion that if you cannot go forward, you should go back to where you are coming from. Despite the difficulties Nigerians are facing in Dubai, they are not contemplating returning home because of the consequence of what would come out of such move.

According to Kizito and Kolawole, thousands of Nigerians are presently trapped in Dubai and finding it difficult to leave because of expired visas. And any move to travel out of Dubai may boomerang for them because of the laws guiding immigration in the UAE.
Kolawole said: “Some of them used visitor’s visa to enter Dubai and they failed to renew it because many of them don’t have enough money to do so because since they arrived here, they have not gotten a good job.

“According to the UAE law, if your visa expired, you will be charged a certain amount every day before you renew your visa. For example, if you stay for about additional 60 days after the expiration of your visa, you will be forced to pay the 60 days fine before you are allowed to travel out of the country.

“So, this problem has made it difficult for many people to travel back to Nigeria. What some people are doing now is to impersonate and forge other persons’ international passports and visa to use it to travel out of the UAE to avoid sanctions,” he said.
Kizito also added: “Going back to Nigeria now will be a big problem for me because my visa has already expired.

“If I want to travel back now, I have to look for another person’s passport and use it to fly back to Nigeria. I will buy another passport and change the name. If you come in now, I can quickly buy your passport and use it to fly back to Nigeria. I will pay 1,000 Dirham (N100,000) to get the passport.

Damilola said that many Nigerians currently in Dubai were without genuine passports and necessary documents. “Some people are here without visa. Some do enter with valid visa, but after the expiration of their visa, they will make up their mind not to go back to Nigeria because of situation of things in Nigeria. And when your visa expires here and you don’t have any valid visa to show to a company that is ready to employ you, the only thing you have to do is the illegitimate thing, which some Nigerians are doing. Many Nigerians involved in illegitimate things have been arrested and deported to Nigeria.

“I have been in Dubai for almost four years now and anytime I am coming to Dubai, I travel with valid visa. Immediately your visa expires, you have to leave so that they will not come after you.”

Comparing Nigeria to Dubai

Nigerians in Dubai prefer the city more than their respective cities in Nigeria. Some of them say they are satisfied with the way the government of the UAE directs the affairs of the country and make the city comfortable for people living in different parts.

Comparing Nigeria to Dubai, Damilola said many Nigerians were trooping to Dubai because of lack of infrastructures, stable power and poor governance in Nigeria. “The only problem we have in Nigeria is electricity. If we have stable power supply in Nigeria, everything will be okay. If there is stable power supply, those engaging in small-scale business will survive in Nigeria. But in Dubai, there is no power failure; everything is okay,” he said.

Akinyoode said: “Dubai is good for me. Nigeria is okay, but the problem we have is our leaders. They have to put one thing or two things in order to make the country a right place for everyone. In Nigeria, you can drink whatever you want to drink, but there is no drinking of beer here. You can only drink it in designated places licensed to sell alcoholic drinks. But in Nigeria, you can abuse things, but here we don’t abuse things.”

Kizito said the Nigerian government had failed him and that was why he has made Dubai a place of abode.

Going home with 10 Dirham products

For an average Nigerians in Dubai, Day to Day stores situated in different parts of Deira in Dubai is a good place to visit. Day to Day store is a place where no goods in the store cost more than 10 Dirham, which is equivalent to N1,000. The goods in the stores are inferior products, which are below the standard of what is allowed in the UAE, according to the notice pasted in different places within the store. The store is like a dumping site for China products.

Anytime, they are returning to Nigeria, they usually visit the store and buy goods in large quantities to give to families and friends in Nigeria or take it to different stores to sell. In fact, some people do business with the goods they buy at a cheaper price in Dubai and package it as expensive and imported products when they get to Nigeria. Some of them even use the proceeds of the business to raise funds for their tickets.

During this reporter’s visit to a Day to Day store many Nigerians, both the visitors and those residing in the Dubai were seen buying a lot of 10 Dirham products. Some of the products include cloths, children’s toys, home accessories and fashion items, among others.

Without any iota of doubt, Dubai is a good place to visit and stay by any Nigerian who wants to live a good life, but things are not rosy like many people believe. But while some Nigerians in Dubai are living comfortably, one thing that is noticeable is that many Nigerians currently live like slaves in Dubai, but when they come to Nigeria, they live like kings.