Step-up campaign against migration, refugees commission tells institutions of learning

THE National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons has called on educational institutions in Nigeria to help step up sensitization campaign on the dangers of irregular migration.

Hajiya Sadiya Umar-Farouo, the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons made the call at sensitization programme on the danger of irregular migration at Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka on Tuesday.

Umar-Farouo said that youths who are mostly involved in irregular migration usually pass through educational institutions, adding that if they are seriously involved in the awareness campaign, youths would understand the dangers.

She said that it was regrettable that Nigeria’s experience in irregular migration was ‘gruesome and worrisome’.

“About 36, 000 Nigerians representing total of 171, 299 immigrants arrived Europe by sea in 2016, in the same year, the number of Nigeria women trafficked mostly for sex work into Europe doubled from 5, 600 in 2016 to 11, 009.

“On January 11, 2018, 200 Nigerians were drowned in the Mediterranean Sea, adding to the alarming toll of last year,’’ she noted.

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Umar-Farouo who said that migration has been part of the history of human civilization advised that it must be done in a regular partner to avoid dangers associated with the irregular migration.

She hinted that the federal government has developed national policies and practice that ensure person-centred and right based approaches to migrants of kinds.

Umar-Farouo commended Nnamdi Azikwe University for joining in the campaign for checking irregular migration through establishment of migration study centres and sensitization.

The Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikwe University, Prof. Joseph Ahanaku said his varsity established Migration Study Centre to help impact the right knowledge on youths who are the vulnerable group.

Represented by Prof. Charles Esimone, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Academics, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Ahanaku said the migration centre would carry out in-depth researches to find out why youths migrate and solutions to such reasons.

“We reasoned that this migration centre in a varsity will be a solution to the involvement of youths from Anambra and Imo states who constitutes high number of migrates from the South-East geopolitical zone in migration’’, he said.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the sensitization workshop was well attended by representatives of civil society organisations, students, Traditional Rulers, town union leaders and the media, witnessed goodwill messages from NAPTIP IOM, and Federal Ministry of Justice among others.