Hundreds of Diaspora Eritreans returning to their country of residence were returned from Asmara Airport last Monday on grounds that they had not secured exit visas from the department of immigration.   The passengers, many of whom are frequent visitors, were unaware of the requirement. 

In an effort to downplay the cause of the confusion, the department head of the Immigration office, Mr. Gebretensae Tewolde, told the government media that there was �not anything new� to the requirement because it was based on a ten-year-old government proclamation.

While the proclamation may have been issued in 1992, the directive for its enforcement was issued only in May 28, 2003 and, according to our sources, it was circulated only to Asmara Airport officials, airlines and travel agents.   The directive also instructs visitors to secure entry visas and, if extending their stay beyond its expiration date, to renew them promptly.  The public was unaware of this new directive, which was announced retroactively.

Mr. Gebretensae Tewolde also told the government media that paying �rehabilitation tax,� the income tax imposed even on Diaspora Eritreans with dual citizenship, is not a pre-requisite for visa approval.   But some of those who were returned from the airport inform our reporter that they were stripped of their passports and denied exit visas because they had not completed their �national service,� a compulsory military enlistment that is supposed to last eighteen months but has, in same cases, extended for well over five years.