Stranded in Lagos!

Deepsix6 wrote:

Hello Fellow expats in Saigon,

I trust you are all doing well in this unprecedented time, well I was due to arrive home in Saigon on the 17th March after a 2 month offshore project here in Nigeria. I boarded Qatar Airlines flight from Lagos to Saigon via Doha on the 16th, 19hrs later I arrived at Tan Son Nhat International and went through medical screening without any issues got a stamped slip of paper from the medical staff and proceeded to Immigration, from here it all went down hill...I was told that all 5 year visa extension certificates had been suspended..and I was denied entry...My Vietnamese wife and daughter were outside waiting for me and after a very emotional phone call informing my wife that I won't be coming home with her,  I was 'escorted' to a deportation room where I stayed for 16hrs until they put me back on Qatar Airlines to Nigeria!! a place that is not even my country of origin (I'm British) on arriving back to Lagos on the 19th I was put into 14 day self isolation in a Hotel on Victoria Island where I have been ever since, I have been checked by the local health authority every few days... I have no idea when I will get home, thankfully WhatsApp is allowing me to see my wife and daughter daily via video which is great but also heart wrenching... my Daughter is 4 years old and wants to know why papa isn't home and wants her gifts that I bought her in Duty Free in Doha )…    so fellow expats if some of you are in my position dotted around the planet, I hope this will end soon and you get home to your families.   stay safe as it appears that the Vietnamese government are doing well to contain the COVID -19 ...hopefully I will get to see my family and friends soon back in Saigon!

Jeez, what a nightmare man & now stranded in Lagos too,   hope it all works out good & you get home soon.

Thankyou buddy!.. I'm taking each day as it comes... hope you and family are well

Deepsix6 wrote:

I boarded Qatar Airlines flight from Lagos to Saigon via Doha on the 16th, 19hrs later I arrived at Tan Son Nhat International and went through medical screening without any issues got a stamped slip of paper from the medical staff and proceeded to Immigration, from here it all went down hill...I was told that all 5 year visa extension certificates had been suspended..and I was denied entry...

This is the second time I've read about of Immigration officials being overly zealous in their eagerness to follow the order.  In actuality, the suspension didn't start until March 22, a full 5 days after you arrived in TSN:

"Suspension of entry for all cases of visa exemption documents (VEC) issued to people of Vietnamese descent and their relatives, effective at 0:00 on March 22, 2020."

(From the conclusion speech of Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Government Standing Committee Meeting on Prevention and Control of Covid-19

I'm truly sorry this happened to you.  I hope you'll find WhatsApp a relatively acceptable way to be with your wife and daughter during this time.  Hang in there.

Thank you for the reply Ciambella….. hope all is well with you

I was denied entry on Vietnam Airlines on March 19th from Jakarta. I had a visa and was ready to board the plane with my family. My wife and 2 year old ( Vietnamese) were allowed to board. I was denied due to not having a covid 19 certificate. I had to send off my family back home due to the nature of travel restrictions and flight cancellation every hour.  I bought a ticket to Phuket Thailand. Been here since March 20 Waiting. Just like you, zalo and WhatsApp have helped me stay close to them.

Greetings IronMaiden,

Feel for you mate... its just a matter now of staying positive and daily contact with loved ones... I hope you get home soon... I wish I was closer to VN then I am now... I hope you find away mate..

Best regards

Thank you for the positive message...I wish the same to you. Just  waiting when the border opens to reunite with our loved ones.