The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Benue State on Wednesday flagged off the “migrant e-registration” exercise for foreigners in the state.
State Comptroller of the NIS, AI Oko-Jaja, said though the exercise had commenced two weeks ago in the state, the official flag-off marked commencement of the programme in the state.
“The Migrant e~Registration is a statutory provision of the Nigeria Immigration Act 2015 and Regulation 2017, which require the Nigeria Immigration Service to obtain and maintain a register of all immigrants of eighteen years of age and above who intend to reside in Nigeria beyond 90 days.
“This registration will be continuous and routine. It is meant to provide a credible, reliable and comprehensive database of all foreigners resident in Nigeria at any given time. It is envisioned that this tool will be deployed to manage security and economic challenges associated with global migration in the most transparent manner,” he said.
Jaja added that the database will be so networked as a single platform in which authorised agencies and organizations can have access as they may have needs.
He said that all regular and irregular migrants resident in Benue state are expected to register during the amnesty period which would expire on January 11, 2020.
Performing the flag-off ceremony, Governor Samuel Ortom urged all foreigners resident in the state to embrace the programme as it meant to provide a credible, reliable and comprehensive database of all foreigners resident in Nigeria at any given time.
Ortom represented by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Anthony Ijohor, also called on all irregular migrants to regularised their stay in the country while the window period last, stressing that at the expiration of the amnesty those who have not done so will eventual be repatriated.
