IOM Rescues 67,000 Stranded Nigerian Migrants, Supports 30,000

The United Nations International Organization for Migration (UN-IOM) has rescued more than. 67,000 stranded Nigerian migrants and empowermed at least 30,000 returnees since 2017.

Ms Fatima Adeyemi, IOM Project Assistant on Awareness Raising, disclosed this at a three-day migration reporting workshop on Monday in Lagos.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the journalists’ training had the theme: ”From Headlines to Impact: A Capacity Building on Ethical and Data-driven Migration Reporting in Nigeria’.

It is targeted at equipping Nigerian journalists with appropriate migration reporting knowledge.

Adeyemi said that IOM was determined to drive solutions to displacements.

“On migrant protection, the IOM has rescued over 67,000 stranded Nigerian migrants through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programme since 2017.

“So far, over 30,000 of those Nigerian returned migrants have received psychological, social and economic integration-related support.

“Now, as an organisation, our major mission is that we act with our partners to drive solutions to displacements, save lives, take people on the roads and make sure that they are passed through to regular evaluation.

“Down south here, we focus more on facilitated migration and immigration management.

“We also have free movements and migration where we work with entities such as ECOWAS to ensure that immigration issues are followed through legally,”Adeyemi said.

According to her, IOM is making efforts to sensitise more Nigerians about the right ways to migrate.

“We are working with government secondary schools, including unity schools and military schools as well as schools close to borders to raise awareness on illegal migration.

“We want schoolchildren to be sensitised before they are brainwashed to migrate illegally.

“We are sensitising the children about how to properly migrate.

“In Nigeria, we have the Migration Resource Centre in the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, where we educate potential migrants and verify information about where they are going.

“Not many people are aware of the services that IOM offers migrants, and that is where the media comes in to help to increase this sensitisation drive,” she said.

She added that IOM was working with the National Commission for Refugees to develop a national referral mechanism for stranded migrants.

“If someone finds himself stranded, he should locate the IOM office or the Nigerian Embassy in that country.

“We focus mainly on ensuring their safe return.

“We will also try to improve integration of returned migrants,” she said. (NAN)