Mediterranean more deadly, MEPN warns young Nigerians

The Migration Enlightenment Project Nigeria has advised would-be migrants to seek legal and safe ways of realising their goals to avoid unnecessary suffering and deaths in the Mediterranean.

The group gave the advice in a release jointly signed by the Co-Project Director (MEPN) and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation Europe (NIDOE), Messrs Kenneth Gbandi and Femi Awoniyi, respectively and made available to the Nigerian Tribune, on Wednesday.

The release said that about 1,600 people have died on the central Mediterranean route between January and July 2018, adding that the latest report shows that seeking to cross the sea amounts to suicidal adventure.

“The UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli, Libya has declared a state of emergency following days of fighting between rival armed groups in the city,” the group said.

The group added that the renewed clashes have plunged Libya into another chaos, thereby jeopardising the lives of about 8,000 migrants trapped and arbitrarily detained, while many of these detainees were Nigerians.

“The recent fighting demonstrates that Libya is not a safe place and would-be migrants to Europe should avoid the country as they would be exposed to mortal danger,” the group said.

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The release further noted that MEPN will on September 8 hold a stakeholders’ roundtable dialogue in Lagos where youths, students, educationists, parents and multipliers, such as journalists, artists, religious leaders, among others would be in attendance to exchange ideas on issues deriving from irregular migration.

The forum, which was held in Abuja and Enugu, was part of the activities of the MEPN, a public awareness campaign promoting safe migration in Nigeria.