The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has expressed concern over the alarming rate at which migrants from Nigeria and other West African countries perish on the Mediterranean Sea.
IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mr. Frantz Celestin, stated this in Lagos at the Follow-up Training of Government Officials on Running Effective Migrant Resource Centre (MRC).
The workshop was organised by the IOM in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with funding from the European Union (EU) within the framework of the “European Union Trust Fund and IOM initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in Nigeria.”
Celestin, who was represented by IOM’s National Project Officer, Mrs. Elizabeth Poage, said despite the difficulties encountered in the course of embarking on irregular migration, many Nigerians are still stranded in Libya.
Daily Trust reports that IOM has since April 2017 facilitated the return of over 10,000 stranded Nigerians from Libya.
“You will agree with me that this project is apt at a time when the numbers of deaths, and those suffering exploitation and abuse along the Central Mediterranean migration route are at an alarming rate.
“Current statistics shows that the number of migrants from West Africa in migration flows through the Central Mediterranean route has increased despite the difficult conditions of making the journey irregularly.
“It is worthy to note that thousands of Nigerian migrants are stranded in Libya, living in terrible conditions, with many desirous of the opportunity to return home,” Celestin said.
He noted that most migrants embarked on the perilous journey because they lacked adequate information on the dangers inherent in embarking on irregular migration.
“Permit me to say that most of these migrants embarked on this perilous journey because they received little or no information about the legal migration process, the risks inherent in irregular migration, the living and working conditions, and the support and redress services available at destination countries.
“In the absence of accurate information on legal migration procedures and requirements, risks of irregular migration, job advisories and general information and support on welfare and social protection, potential and returning migrants are bound to fall victim to fraudulent migration brokers/recruitment agencies, who usually capitalise on the vulnerabilities of their victims’ desire or ambition for exploitation.
“It is against this background that IOM has within the framework of this project supported the Government of Nigeria to develop several initiatives to effectively manage migration in a more efficient and coherent manner.
“One of such initiatives is the establishment of Migrant Resource Centre [MRC] in Edo State to complement the support services being provided by the MRCs established in Abuja and Lagos State within the framework of the national 10th EDF project.
“As the leading United Nations Agency in the field of migration, IOM recognises the importance of MRCs in the overall integration prospects of migrants as it helps in improving the knowledge of migrants about the destination country and ensuring that their expectations about the migration process are realistic,” he added.
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