Perhaps, due to poverty, economic hardships and poor infrastructure in the country, many Nigerians have always jumped at the opportunity of travelling abroad, with the belief that there is a greener pasture outside Nigeria. PAUL OKAH writes on the negative precedence.
There is no gainsaying the fact that the majority of Nigerians would do anything to relocate to other countries if the opportunity presented itself, evidently as a result of abject poverty, lack of job opportunities, bad government policies and all.
Week in, week out, many Africans, especially Nigerians, lose their lives in the Mediterranean Sea, deserts enroute Europe while trying to escape from the believed poverty at home and trying to embark on irregular migration.
Most times, the media is also awash with news of many Nigerians stranded abroad, languishing in jails and being sexually exploited as a result of irregular migration, human trafficking, criminal activities and not possessing documents that would allow them reside legally in their countries of choice.
Furthermore, many Nigerians, who hitherto owned lucrative businesses, have been deceived to sell off their businesses to travel to foreign countries, with promises of a better life or an Eldorado, only to end up as mortuary attendants, dish washers and taking up different forms of menial jobs they wouldn’t dare do in Nigeria just to survive.
A survey conducted by Blueprint Weekend shows that despite the dangers of irregular migration in search of greener pastures, many Nigerians are still willing to stake their lives to travel to developed countries, even when they neither have relatives there nor possess relevant skills or documents that would lead to being granted visas.
Nigerians speak
In an interview with this reporter, a student, Mr. Emmanuel Akpebele, said he would jump at the opportunity of visiting Spain, Italy or Russia as “Nigeria has nothing to offer,” despite the fact that he has nothing much to offer the country of his destination.
He said, “I would travel outside the country if I get the opportunity. Why I want to leave Nigeria is that you can’t just be in one country and expect to see everything in life. You need to explore, broaden your horizons. I would travel to Italy, Spain or possibly Russia. With the little skills I have acquired as a driver, I can be working for a company and with my little cooking skills, I might aspire to be a chef. As Italy is a city of cuisines, I can be a chef.”
Similarly, another student, Asah, Nkechukwu Obinna, told our reporter in a chat that he would engage in brain circulation, which would entail his travelling abroad to acquire skills he would gladly impart on Nigerians not privileged to also travel abroad.
“I will travel abroad, but on one condition, which is to go over there to acquire some knowledge and skills, then come back and develop my country with the skills acquired. I can’t afford to miss such an opportunity to travel outside my country because there is little or no enablement to push myself to the next level in life here in Nigeria.
“I have no particular country in mind, but I will travel to any country that is highly developed in science and technology. I wouldn’t want to be a liability to anybody; therefore, I will study and work if I find myself abroad,” he said.
Also, a fashion designer and caterer, Benedicta Ezimma, volunteered to Weekend Blueprint that she would gladly jump at the opportunity of travelling abroad to be able to take her business to the next level, despite the fact of not having relatives abroad or a specific country in mind.
“Yes, I would travel out of the country if I get the opportunity. I will go there to enlarge my kind of business and continue what I’m doing in Nigeria. I want to expand this fashion business. There are better opportunities out there. I have found out that when you finish schooling in this country, you find it difficult to get a job and that leads to frustration and people not willing to depend on government.
“Therefore, I will travel to any of the countries that bring better opportunities, preferably USA. I will go there to expand my business and continue my education. We have some of our African people over there that like to wear this kind of attire; so I will go there to showcase my hand work. I don’t have relatives abroad. However, my friend has relatives in London and Chicago, who are civil servants, so I can always exploit the connection,” she said.
The Libyan experience
Many Nigerians have been trapped in Libya for years. The trapped Nigerians, either languishing in different jails or being used as sex workers, were en route Europe through Libya, but were either deported or became victims of human trafficking.
Consequently, the Nigerian government, through its agencies such as the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and others have been working round the clock to bring back as many of them as possible.
Needless to say that the returnees have gory stories to tell and would never wish their worst enemies half of their ordeals; even as the federal government makes efforts to reintegrate them into the society.
Expert’s opinion
In an interview with Blueprint Weekend, the coordinator of Civil Society Network on Migration and Development (CSOnetMADE), Dr. Emma Xris, said the growing population of Nigerians always look out for a means of achieving greener pastures, especially as the poverty rate keeps increasing, hence the reason for people embracing irregular migration.
“The challenge of migration is because of the multifaceted aspects of poverty. Sometimes, people think that poverty is just about the lack of money. Poverty is also lack of opportunity. So, it is poverty as a result of lack of opportunities that force people away from home. It is a great concern because we have a growing population that needs to be taken care of. We need a multi dimensional approach.
“The grass can be greener for everybody, it depends on the opportunity. There are those who have greener grass here than out there. The fact is that we should go to a place where everything we do has meaning, where you have protection of life and you are sure of your wages. There are no greener pastures without a little labour, because we have not accessed easy regular migration, our people still access irregular migration,” he said.
IOM’s concerns
In an exclusive interview with Blueprint Weekend, the Chief of Mission International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Mr. Franz Celestin, said migration is a global trend, but expressed concerns at the dangers many Africans, especially Nigerians, expose themselves to as a result of irregular migration.
He said: “Nigerians migrating abroad is a natural thing. We have Nigerians migrating abroad for schooling, work, health, etc. However, we also have a number of Nigerians risking their lives in the desert, Mediterranean Sea, trying to find greener pastures or better lives. This is what worries us because traffickers and smugglers are taking advantage of desperate Nigerians to lead them to the wrong path. Promising them non-existent jobs often lead to their finding themselves in detention centres.
“So far, IOM has brought back 15,707 of Nigerians stranded in Libya. This is part of our emergency humanitarian evacuation of Nigerians who find themselves in detention camps, not an ideal situation. We work with collaborative agencies like NIS, NAPTIP, etc to make sure that the interests and rights of migrants are protected.”
He also said, “The grass is not always greener on the other side. The misconception that the grass is always greener is a perception we need to address. People who leave here assume that things are better in European countries, USA or Canada, but the fact is that home is home. If you can afford to pay a smuggler six thousand dollars to migrate to America, why can’t you use the same money to invest at home? The grass is not always greener. In fact, you find people living in very difficult conditions.
“However, migration is not restricted to Nigeria. It is everywhere. In fact, you have some people coming from the UK or USA to work in Nigeria; that is the economic side. Nevertheless, the Nigerian government cannot resolve everybody’s problems. However, they can provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive and also provide opportunities for people to succeed at home. This will go a long way to curb irregular migration.”
NCFRMI boss’ remarks
On Wednesday, December 18, 2019, the federal commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed, called on Nigerians to remember and identify with unfortunate victims of irregular migration and those who have lost their lives in search of greener pastures in foreign countries.
He made the request in Abuja while leading a road walk of partners’ migration and hundreds of FCT residents from the Old Parade in Garki to Area 1 roundabout.
Quoting the words of former President of the UN General Assembly, Miroslav Lajčák, Mohammed, said it is fitting for Nigerians to reflect on what migration means for the world as we have never lived in a world without migration.
He said, “Migration is a part of our humanity, so we are advocating for safe, regular and dignified migration. We are in solidarity with our brothers and sisters who have lost their lives or have gone missing during perilous journeys through the desert or by the sea in search of a better life. We remember many who have drowned at sea, the uncountable migrants sold as slaves and confined in detention centres.
“We walk in solidarity with those who have been uprooted, expelled, forced into emigration and driven out of their homes. I talk about people who have been uprooted regardless of whether they are black or white, young or old, male or female, Christian or Muslim and who have the same painful experiences etched in their souls. Many have perished because of acts of war, disease, hunger, rape as well as exhaustion and forced labour.
“Those at home that are planning on doing the same, your lives are more valuable and there are options for them at home. Even if you choose to travel, there are safer and more humane channels of doing so. I want to ask everyone to be kind to migrants to become advocates and educators of the dangers of irregular migration.”
FG’s commitment
Speaking ahead of the 2019 International Migrants Day celebrated on December 18 every year, Mohammed said the Commission will continue to partner stakeholders to ensure safe, orderly and regular migration through the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) reducing human trafficking.
He stated this in Abuja during the 2019 National Migration Dialogue with the theme: “Localising the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM): Towards setting up national action plan for the implementation of the GCM.”
Addressing participants at the event, the commissioner said Nigeria’s problem was not with migration to foreign countries, but with Nigerians not taking the lead to sell the richness of every region of the country as a first priority.
According to him, the Commission will continually collaborate with various sectors to strengthen economic stability and plan interventions that advocate for a renewed hope in Nigeria.
He said, “For Nigeria, being committed to the issues of Migration is an understatement. We are more committed than ever. Through Nigeria’s involvement in the UN Global Compact, we have shown the highest level of political will. Interestingly, just last week the President announced that all persons traveling to Nigeria from other African countries will have the ability to apply for visas on arrival and be admitted into the country, unlike ever before.
“This is because safe, orderly and regular migration through the GCM is our goal. The Commission will spend most of 2020 developing messaging that addresses and directs citizens to the various opportunities they can take advantage of in Nigeria. We hope to work with others to promote more migration to the continent for the growth of our local economy.”
He said further: “This improved awareness will hopefully reduce the risks being taken by Nigerian men, women and children currently crossing the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. The commission is also collaborating with the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs to reduce irregular migration and human trafficking.
“We hope to also address the protracted displacement of Bakkasi returnees and migrants from the North-east who have migrated to the region. We also hope our inter-government, and bilateral partnerships can promote more regular migration as very clearly stated in the Global Compact on Migration. The GCM has no value if it does not change the life of migrants.”
FG’s avowal
In commemoration of the 2019 International Migrants Day, which is annually celebrated on December 18, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq, said global migration has continued to grow in magnitude of numbers, prospects and challenges, “despite the adoption of the Global Compact for Migration (GCM) in 2018.
She stated this in Abuja on Wednesday, December 17 during the 2019 National Migration Dialogue with the theme: ‘Localising the global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration: Developing a national implementation action plan.”
Among the dignitaries in attendance were the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige; Federal Commissioner National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Senator Basheer Garba Mohammed; Chief of Mission International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Mr. Franz Celestin, and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof. Joy Uche Ogwu.
Addressing participants at the event, Farouq said the number of international migrants increased by 51 million in 2019, from what it was in 2000, revealing that despite its hopes and ambitions, “the world is still faced with similar situations that led to the adoption of GCM in 2019.”
She said: “As the positive impacts of migration continue to rise, so do its challenges. The recent UNDP Migration report reveal some shocking statistics; there were about 30,000 irregular migration deaths and disappearances between 2014 and 2018; over 17,000 deaths took place in the Mediterranean. Therefore, this situation requires urgent need to initiate and accelerate the processes of implementing the GCM.
“Localising the GCM is of great importance to Nigeria because we believe it will offer our migration governance an opportunity of improving various policies and programmes. We are also deeply interested in understanding and responding aptly to root causes of migration, but we are yet to attain the desired goals. For instance, while we celebrate the return and successful reintegration of over 15, 000 Nigerians hitherto stranded in Libya, we are worried that more youths are ready to undertake this dangerous path to search for life.
“Therefore, while we celebrate $25 billion and other forms of social remittances from our Diaspora, we need to do more in ensuring they are protected in their countries of destination. Nevertheless, the creation of my ministry is another expression of this government in ensuring the protection of life and wellbeing of Nigerians. I will duly promote the course of the migration governance in Nigeria and will strongly continue to represent it at relevant quarters.”
