By Ndujihe Clifford Chiebuka
The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has sounded a warning against the dangers of illegal migration, human trafficking, and migrant smuggling across borders.
This caution comes as the NIS Cross River State Command, led by Comptroller Prisca Ogbodo, completed a nationwide sensitization program on smuggling of migrants (SOM) in Cross River State.
The program aimed to educate communities, traditional rulers, tertiary institutions, and religious congregations on the perils of irregular migration and the consequences of smuggling migrants. Comptroller Ogbodo emphasized the need for personnel to be ambassadors against smuggling migrants and trafficking in persons.
Nigeria has been experiencing large-scale rural-to-urban migration, affecting national agriculture and increasing poverty in rural areas. The country also faces significant emigration, with many Nigerians seeking better opportunities abroad. In 2022, the estimated net migration rate in Nigeria was -0.21 migrant(s)/1,000 population.
The NIS cited the Immigration Act 2015, which prohibits smuggling of migrants, prescribes restitution for victims, and imposes penalties for offenders, including ten years imprisonment or a fine of not less than One Million Naira or both.
Key Statistics:
- 1,308,568 migrants recorded in Nigeria as of 2020, mostly from Benin, Ghana, Mali, Togo, and the Niger Republic
- 82,773 personswith refugee status and 1,529 asylum seekers registered in Nigeria in 2022
- 3,098,404 internally displaced persons recorded in 2022, with 375,552 directly caused by violence and conflict
- 400,633 Nigerians recognized as refugees in other countries in 2022
Source: The Nation
