'JAPA' Syndrome: JIFORM meets stakeholders in Lagos to tackle lingering human trafficking, irregular migrations

By Kazeem Akande

(NAN) The Journalists International Forum For Migration (JIFORM) in Nigeria has met with both national and international stakeholders to tackle the menace of lingering human trafficking and irregular migrations in the country.

Dr Ajibola Abayomi, the JIFORM President, in his remarks said that the conference was a deliberate attempt by JIFORM to meet the stakeholders to find lasting solutions to human trafficking and irregular migrations.

"Necessity is the mother of invention, in Nigeria and as Nigerians, we cannot continue to live in the denial as huge number of our citizens are being lured and sold into slavery.

"These are done at intervals through irregular migration and human trafficking whether they are victims of deceit or they are desperate to seek greener pasture abroad certainly.

"At the same time, all these efforts are also geared towards encouraging journalists to stay focused on migration issues that shape the global space.

"One thing is certain about Nigeria, whatever the situation is for now, it will definitely become history tomorrow and this nation shall be better for it," he said.

According to him, both the government and leaders at different levels of our community must come together to address factors fuelling the migration menaces in our dear country.

He said we must be bothered about "Japa" syndrome a lexicon that many Nigerian youths embrace out of ignorance.

Abayomi said when you 'japa', you put yourself and your future at a disadvantage.

The JIFORM president said that without fear of contradiction, the best way to reap the reward of migration in advanced countries or anywhere was when purposefully and legally plan our journey.

"Our migration policies should confer more dignity on Nigerians instead of stating the obvious on the paper alone.

"There should be more political will to create an enabling environment to address the pull and push factors encouraging irregular migration," he added.

Professor Fatima Waziri-Azi, the Director General, of NAPTIP, in her remarks said migration from one place to another was a a right of everyone.

According to her, migration as we all know is a right and when well used/practiced, is a key factor in the development of societies.

"As people move, they take their skills and knowledge from their points/countries of origin to countries of destination.

You will also agree with me that diaspora remittance is one of Nigeria’s sources of foreign exchange. However, this win-win situation can only be achieved through regular, well planned and safe migration.

"This brings us to the crux of the matter, the missing link – irregular migration. These missing links include:

The desperation of or ignorance of many Nigerian migrants which has led them to exploring irregular migration paths.

"This render them vulnerable and easy prey for human trafficking, smuggling of migrants and various forms of exploitation," she said.

She added that the narratives out there that vilify migrants and portray them as a burden on destination countries rather than assets was part of the factors.

The DG said that the belief that opportunities only exist outside the country (the grass is greener elsewhere) on the part of the traffickers made the vulnerable be exploited and denied their basic rights ignoring the provisions of the law.

"A common tread that runs through these missing links is “ignorance”.

"That is why NAPTIP is glad to collaborate with the media in tackling ignorance as a major factor facilitating the continuous proliferation of human trafficking and irregular migration," she added.

Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the chairman of the Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said in her contributions that the country spend much money in evacuating its citizens from other countries.

Dabiri-Erewa who is represented by Mr Rahman Balogun, said that what some of our nationals were doing in other countries are bad.

According to him, thousands of irregular migrants have been evacuated from Libya in the recent time.

"Recently we received some of them at the airport and during our interrogations with them we discovered no one of them have travelling passport.

"We advice the parents and the larger society to reduce the way they pressurise their children to seek greener pastures abroad for survival.

Mrs Sandra Alonge, a Representative of The Nigerian-German Center for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration in her remarks thanked JIFORM for putting this summit together to engage issues related to migration among the stakeholders.

According to her, the summit which include stakeholders both national and international levels working on the hot topic, not just in Nigeria, but around the world.

On behalf of the Nigerian German Centre for Jobs, Migration and Reintegration (NGC), I offer our appreciation to the Journalists International Forum for Migration (JIFORM) for putting this summit.

Through this summit, together we can engage in issues related to migration, at a national level and among important stakeholders.

"There we can work on this hot topic, not just in Nigeria, but around the world.

for many, to JAPA is the ultimate dream.

"Greener Pastures are looming. For others, JAPADA is a concept that needs to be promoted – 'to come back to Nigeria and make this country work'.

"Perception plays a major role and makes the difference between some being migrants – while others are expats," Alonge said.

She said that her organisation was a structure of GIZ Programme Migration for Development, implemented on behalf of the German Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

According to her, the programme is in close collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and its Migrant Resource Centers – (MRCs) in Abuja, Lagos and Benin City.

"We provide capacity building to our government partners and other relevant actors, but most of all support local population and returning migrants as well as IDPs, with social and economic (re) integration.

"At our Centres, we promote a multi-sectoral approach to providing reintegration assistance to returned migrants, by working with government partners, private employers, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs)," she said.

Alonge said that together with the MRC her organisation seek out jobs, promote job creation and place vulnerable members of society, such as migrants, in employment that was so much-needed for their reintegration.

She added that about half of their beneficiaries prefer getting a job, the other half wanted to start their own business.

Alonge said that her organisation implemented a 360 degree approach to migration which means that they support both those who want to travel and those that want to come back home.

"We provide information on regular migration and on the risks of irregular – not illegal – migration.

Once abroad, thousands of Nigerians are being told to return, because they have no legal right to be there.

"Many arrived irregularly and applied for asylum. However, as Nigeria is not at war and the government is not systematically persecuting citizens, Nigerians are often not eligible for asylum," she added.

She however, said irregular migration continues put young Nigerians at risk of losing their lives with no guarantees for a better future at the end of the tunnel.

Alonge said that at the same time, there was a growing demand for skilled labour and thousands of professionals manage to leave the shores of the country to Canada, US and UK as well as to Europe and the Middle East.

She said that was why they counsel them and provide them with employment generation support and there was real results from the interventions

"We have beneficiaries who now train other returned migrants, directly contributing to the important process of their reintegration.

"We counsel them and provide them with employment generation support. And we have real results from these interventions," she said.

Prof. Layi Esho, of Department of Mass Communication Ogun State Polytechnic during his contributions said that most of the experience came from the media who focused on various migration channels.

We need to focus our attention on media in this summit to combat the irregular migrations.

Also we need to look into the public policy and issues that encourage the intending migrants because it has become a major problem as it involve large number of people.

"We should also focus on the route the victims take, the people who lure them to it and individual decision from regular migrants to irregular after expiration of Visa ie that's abuse of Visa," Esho said.

According to him, we read a lot of narratives about their maltreatment and job experience out there.

The professor said that media has to focus on the pull factors, which are political, economic and social factors.

He said that we need to change the mindset of people if we want to curb the irregular migrations.

"We should all know that Nigeria is not a failed state, we should work on our social relationship through the media and change the narratives, perspectives and context through our music, homes videos, and magazines," he added. (NAN)