EXHIBITORS DENIED VISAS TO ENTER NAMPULA

The Municipal Council in the northern Mozambican city of Nampula has protested at the refusal of the Nampula immigration authorities to grant entry visas to 16 exhibiters at an Egyptian exhibition under way in Nampula City Hall.The exhibition is intended as part of the establishment of cooperation ties between Egypt and Nampula, which, in terms of population is the third largest Mozambican city (after Maputo and Matola). The would-be exhibitors who were denied visas are of Egyptian, Filipino and Iranian nationalities. The note from the Municipal Council pointed out that, according to the Mozambican Foreign Ministry, the visitors could be given their visas at the official frontier posts, and in the case of Nampula, that post is Nampula International Airport. The council notes that the 17 exhibitors who came via Maputo were given visas at Maputo International Airport, but the same procedure was not followed for the exhibitors who flew directly to Nampula. The immigration services claimed that these exhibitors did not have any invitation, or proof of where they would be staying in Nampula.The Municipal Council effectively accused the immigration services of lying. “The exhibitors complied with all the basic requirements for obtaining a visa at the airport”, said the Council’s note. “They have a reference letter, passports, a confirmation of hotel reservations, money to live on, and they are enrolled in the exhibition. So the real reasons which led the immigration services to deny them visas remain obscure”. Even worse, the exhibitors were treated as if they were criminals. They were held for four days in the yard of the Nampula immigration services, under armed guard, and forced to sleep in the open. Contacted the director of immigration in Nampula, who merely suggested contacting the spokesperson of the Nampula provincial police command. The latter confirmed that the exhibitors had been denied visas, but gave no explanation, promising to provide more details “in due time”.