In what appears an indictment of the federal government, a cross section of Libyan returnees from Edo state has said more Nigerians would continue to flee to Libya in spite of the sufferings and torture associated with such trips except governments at all levels become more responsive to the yearnings of the youth.
Accusing the
government of being the major stimulator of such dangerous journeys, the
returnees said if elected public officials fulfilled even half of their
electioneering campaign promises, the number of irregular migrants from Nigeria
would reduce drastically.
They consequently
advised international humanitarian agencies, particularly the United Nations
Migration Agency, the International Organization for Migration IOM as well as
the European Union EU against routing their projects through the Nigerian
Government, lamenting that such lofty gestures hardly ever get to the intended
beneficiaries.
They spoke in Benin-City, Edo state at a ceremony organized
by IOM to launch and hand over a Migrant Resource Centre MRC to the Federal
Government.
“What I have to tell
the EU-IOM is that they should please, not partner with the government or any
other agency in Nigeria. If there is any project you have for the returnees,
please do it fast. We heard that some money was set aside to empower us but
till now we have not seen anything since we finished our training last year”,
said Mr Iluobe Ehis who returned last year.
Another returnee who simply identified himself as Collins
said; “ Talking about reintegration, up till today nothing has been done. They
trained us last year but the grants they promised us have not been given. My
candid advice to IOM and EU is that if you want to spend money on returnees, do
not partner with the Nigerian government. Some of us that returned have gone
back again”. Other returnees expressed frustration at the government, saying
most of the procedures for reintegration are often hijacked. In a swift
response, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Boss Mustapha
and the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and
Internally Displaced Persons NCFRMI, Hajia Sadia Umar Farouk who were both
represented at the event, absolved the federal government of any blame in the
matter. Represented by Mrs Roseline Obiechina, the SGF said; “I want to point
out the fact that you cannot venture into a country without partnering with the
government of the country. I cannot be here and hear you say that they should
not partner with the government. The Office of the SGF makes efforts to ensure
that every programme gets to the target population but if it is hijacked at the
state level, then that is very unfortunate. There are procedures. International
bodies cannot come and operate here without collaborating with the government
on ground”.
On her part, the representative of the NCFRMI said; “ There
is an SOP – Standard Operating Procedure for handling returnees. The SOP is in
the process of being operationalized and I can assure you that by the time that
is done, most of your fears would have been addressed “. While handing over the
MRC to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, IOM’s Chief of
Mission, Ms Enira Krdzalic said the initiative seeks to among other things, “support
the Government of Nigeria to improve migration governance through the
development of migration strategies and implementation of migration policies
action plans; strengthen national structures and capabilities for managing
reintegration in a dignified and sustainable manner; sensitize communities on
dangers of irregular migration; and strengthen migration data and communication
on migratory flows, routes and trends in order to support evidence-based
policies and programmes design.” Represented by Mr Abrham Tamrat, the IOM boss
said the MRC is important at a time when the number of deaths, exploitation and
abuse recorded on the Central Mediterranean migration route are at an all-time
high. Irregular migration along the Central Mediterranean route is increasingly
dangerous for migrants. Crossing the Mediterranean to Europe is by far the
deadliest route, with one death recorded for 35 arrivals. Over 70% of the
migrants interviewed by IOM on their arrival in Italy reported that they were
victims of trafficking or other exploitative practices during their migratory
journey along the routes of the Central Mediterranean. Many of these migrants
were tricked, forced or persuaded to leave their homes for better opportunities
abroad. Many of them entered Libya through several illegal routes with the hope
of crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, but become stranded living in
terrible conditions and seeking the opportunity to return home when they could
no longer continue their journeys to their final destinations.
Although many of them have been assisted to return home,
many are still stuck in terrible detention facilities in Libya. From April 2017
to date, IOM with funding from the EU has facilitated the return and
reintegration of over 7, 000 Nigerian migrants”. On his part, Sen. Ngige said
the need for the establishment of MRC in Benin City is understandable, in view
of the high incidence of irregular migration and trafficking in persons from
the State. “It is important to note that the establishment of MRC in Benin City
is that it will serve as an authentic one stop shop, where potential and
returning migrants will be able to access relevant migration information and a
wide range of services through direct assistance, and information provided by
the MRC network. This will ensure that intending, actual and returning migrants
make informed decisions about their migratory aspirations thereby minimizing
the risks and maximizing the benefits of their migratory experience.” According
to him, the Ministry has established Job Centres in Anambra, Bauchi, Delta,
Lagos and Abuja “to provide assistance to applicants on job placements and
employment opportunities, so as to mitigate the challenges of job search”.
Libya Returnees shock FG: Some returnees have gone back to Libya
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Saturday, March 10, 2018
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