Illegal Migration: Strengthening Labour Laws, Prosecution of Traffickers Will Curb Menace, Says NiDCOM

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

To stem the rise and disturbing trend of illegal migration, particularly amongst youths, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM), Dr. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has said policies and legal frameworks on prosecution of traffickers of young people should be strengthened to curb the scourge.

She said labour laws aimed at protecting migrants’ rights should be strengthened, as well as the engagement of Nigerians already in the diaspora for job mobility drivers between countries.

Dabiri-Erewa gave the recommendations Tuesday in Abuja during her keynote address during the Rabat process thematic meeting centred on ‘Youth, education and innovation: driving the future of migration.’

In the meeting, where Nigeria is playing host to 57 member countries, Dabiri-Erewa stated that the strengthening of regular migration pathways will enhance labour mobility and will further consolidate the efforts of the government in the sensitization and education of the general public on the available opportunities backed by laws in the migration space.

According to her, incentives for regular migration by the government may include enabling environment for migration policies implementation, policy consistency, bilateral agreements with countries of interest, access to funding for education, mentorship programmes, reducing bureaucratic hurdles, promoting knowledge-based empowerment for the youth and strengthening of consistent sensitization against irregular migration.

She said doing so will further galvanize support for combating the phenomenon of irregular migration and the dangers attached to it, even though the blame might not completely be those of the illegal migrants whom might be fleeing from conflict prone regions, unemployment and hunger amongst others.

“Policies and legal frameworks on prosecution of traffickers of young people in Nigeria should be strengthened to curb the scourge of irregular migration.

“Labour laws aimed at protecting migrants’ rights should be strengthened for effective Labour mobility,” Dabiri-Erewa said.

She said a recent statistics suggest that Nigeria faces an unemployment rate around 33% among young people, while  emphasizing the urgent need for education to equip young people with skills that match the demands of the society.

“In today’s globalized world, education is crucial for participating in the international arena with advancement in technology, rise of knowledge economies, skills of critical thinking and problem-solving and digital literacy are very essential,” she said.

In his speech, the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, Prof. Yilwatda Nentawe, revealed that recent data indicates that African youth represent a significant proportion of those migrating to Europe and are usually driven by economic opportunities, access to education, and the pursuit of improved living conditions.

He said by dis-incentivising irregular migration which endangers lives and undermines human rights, promoting regular migration pathways, education and training in countries of origin, innovation transfer, and enhancing youth empowerment and diaspora engagement is needful.

According to him, “These young migrants play a crucial role in their host societies by contributing to innovation, entrepreneurship, and addressing labour market shortages, while also supporting their countries of origin through remittances and knowledge transfer.

“Recognising these contributions, this thematic meeting aims to explore how the potential of African youth can be further leveraged as key contributors to both origin and destination countries.

“By dis-incentivising irregular migration which endangers lives and undermines human rights, while promoting regular migration pathways, education and training in countries of origin, innovation transfer, and enhancing youth empowerment and diaspora engagement is needful.”