By Esenvosa Izah
The Association of Recruiters, Licensed Placement Agents of Nigeria (ARLPAN) has called on the Federal Government to address irregular migration to prevent Nigerians from falling victims of unlicensed recruiters and taken advantage of at their destination countries.
The ARLPAN President, Mr Rex Jacob-Omole, made the call at a news conference on Wednesday in Lagos.
The conference had the theme, “Effects and Implications of Consistent Irregular Migration”.
Jacob-Omole expressed dismay over irregular migration, saying that it had negatively affected societies and economies.
According to him, irregular migration affects not only the migrants but also their countries of origin, transit and destination.
“The government should insist that all the ministries, departments and agencies involved, especially immigration, follow up with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
“Also, government should sign bilateral agreements with some of these countries; if government does not sign the bilateral agreement, Nigerians will still move.
“If they move, they are being maltreated, because the government does not have any bilateral agreement with the destination countries, “ he said.
The union leader said that, to fully tackle irregular migration, Nigeria must address the root causes.
According to him, these include economic hardship and unemployment that force individuals to seek opportunities elsewhere.
“Others are conflicts, political instability, and human rights violations that push people to flee their countries of origin, climate change and environmental disasters that displace communities.”
He added that misinformation and false promises spread by smugglers and traffickers lured people into dangerous journeys.
Jacob-Omole also said that addressing irregular migration required a mult-faceted and cooperative approach, including strengthening legal migration pathways to reduce the need for risky and unauthorised routes.
He said that there was need for synergy among SOPs-implementing agencies and stakeholders, as well as enhanced international cooperation to ensure fair and humane migration policies, especially signing of bilateral agreements or memorandum of understanding.
He said that the approaches also included raising awareness to counter misinformation and preventing human trafficking as well as improving border management, while upholding human rights and dignity.
“Applicable clearances must be vetted at various exit points.
“We must recognise that irregular migration is not a problem that can be solved overnight nor by any single country.
“It requires regional and international collaboration between governments, employers and labour; responsible policymaking, and a balance between security and humanitarian responsibility, “ he said. (NAN)
