The International Organisation for Migration, IOM on Saturday, in Abuja, carried out a solidarity walk as part of activities to commemorate this year’s International Migrants Day.
Speaking after the walk, Mr Frantz Celestin, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Nigeria, said the body had assisted 11,000 irregular migrants from Nigeria to return home within the past year.
He said the UN agency had also trained 5,000 of them in several skills within the same period.
Celestin said that the assistance and re-integration programme was to create a thriving environment for returnees to properly reintegrate into the society and to dissuade them from embarking on perilous journeys in search of greener pastures.
“As at November, we have assisted 11, 000 Nigerians coming from mostly Libya, Mali and Niger; and those who were stranded.
“We provide support for them working with NAPTIP, working with NCFRMI, Nigerian Immigration Services, NEMA and all the concerned agencies to bring those who have been stranded back home.
“So far, we have trained about 5,000 returnees in business skills, business management and we are in the process of contacting more because it is a process to get everybody integrated,” Celestin said.
The Chief of Mission said that in line with this year’s theme, the IOM was advocating for migration with dignity and urged intending migrants to go about migration regularly.
