EU and FIIAPP support Nigeria Immigration Service on Prevention of Smuggling of Migrants
The smuggling of migrants is a global concern, with a large number of countries affected either as point of origin, transit, destination or combination of all. Smuggled migrants are vulnerable to series of exploitation and their lives are often put at risk: thousands of people have suffocated in containers, perished in deserts or drowned at sea while being smuggled to another country.
The Smugglers and their networks are responsible for promoting irregular migration thereby evading national border controls, migration regulations and visa requirements. This action undermines the integrity and security of countries, and indeed that of Nigeria, and every year this has cost so many people, especially the youths, their lives.
This calls for more awareness in communities, schools and among young people who are often prone to this irregular migration. As part of the effort to reduce the incidence of smuggling of migrants among Nigerians, FIIAPP, in the framework of the Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM), is organizing a one-day prevention workshop for Nigeria Immigration Service, on 22nd September 2020 in Abuja. The workshop is aimed towards identifying tools for use to increase the level of public awareness on SOM and other related issues; acquainting participants with knowledge of potential migrants’ identification & characteristics; mapping out awareness creation strategy on SOM for the Service and creating short public enlightenment messages against Irregular Migration/SOM.
According to Joseph Olusegun Sanwo who is the project’s senior officer and Technical Advisor on Prevention, “A-TIPSOM is an EU funded project and it is being implemented by FIIAPP (International Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy); a public sector foundation under the Spanish State which works to improve public systems in more than 100 countries by managing international cooperation projects”
In his welcome remark, FIIAPP’s Institutional Coordinator, Mr. Jose Antonio Nsang Andeme, affirmed the commitment of FIIAPP in working with and supporting the Nigerian agencies to tackle human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.
Assistant Comptroller General of Nigeria Immigration Service in charge of the Migration Division Mrs. Caroline Wura-ola Adepoju who represented
the Comptroller General Mr. Muhammad Babandede declared the workshop open. During her remarks, she appreciated FIIAPP and European Union for their support and assured that the Service will leverage on the workshop to improve its prevention strategies with regards to smuggling of migrants and irregular migration.
Reported by:
Joseph Chidiebere Osuigwe,
Technical Advisor, Communication and Awareness
