The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Federal Government has expedited the return of over 21,000 Nigerian migrants stranded in overseas.
Wintana Tarekegn, IOM head, Benin Sub-office, made the disclosure on Wednesday during a town hall meeting on safe migration in Benin City.
Tarekegn said the migrants were returned from Libya, Niger, Mali, European countries and other transit and destination countries.
She explained that the purpose of the town hall meeting was to brainstorm on ways to raise awareness on the risk of irregular migration and human trafficking, as well as develop holistic home-grown solutions to addressing its attendant scourge.
She revealed that IOM in collaboration with the United Nations (UN), Migration Agency, has started to implement several awareness-raising interventions in Nigeria, including Migrants as Messengers (MAM).
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The IOM head said the initiative is designed to create positive behavioural change among potential migrants and their families and friends so that they can make safe and informed migration-related decisions and promote the positive impact returning migrants bring to their home communities.
“It will promote the tenet of safe migration practices as well as provide an avenue for social cohesion for returned migrants, reduce stigma and help them fit back into the society.
“IOM in coordination with the federal government of Nigeria, has facilitated to voluntarily return over 21,000 Nigerians migrants stranded abroad in Libya, Niger, Mali, European countries and other transit and destination countries,” she said.
On her part, Ijeoma Uduak, zonal coordinator of National Agency for the Prohibition of Traffic in Persons (NAPTIP), identified greed, ignorance, peer influence, family pressure among others, as major factors influencing irregular migration.
Speaking on the topic, “Integrating Migration Discussions in Schools Through Peer-to-peer-approach”, Elijah Elaigwu, IOM project assistant Migration Management/ Awareness, said research conducted by IOM shows that most students are unaware of the dangers of irregular migration.
