Stakeholders in the Prevention of Human Trafficking, Smuggling and Migration, has called for increased awareness against smuggling of innocent Nigerians to other countries.
Mr Joseph Osuigwe, the Technical Advisor, Communication and Awareness Officer, Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM) made this known in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.
Osuigwe said that the Smuggling of Migrants (SOM), a global organisation was concerned with the large number of countries being affected, adding that this necessitated the call for stakeholders to step-up more awareness on the menace.
He said that smuggled migrants were vulnerable to exploitation, which often put their lives in danger and exposed them to various kind of sufferings
“Thousands of people have suffocated in containers, perished in deserts or drowned at sea while being smuggled to another country.
“The smugglers and their network are responsible for providing services to irregular migrants 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,” he said.
According to the him, the activities of smugglers call for more awareness in communities, schools and among the young people who are often prone to this menace.
Osuigwe said that the sensitisation was aimed at identifying tools for use to increase the level of awareness and acquainting participants with knowledge of potential migrants.
Others are identification and characteristic, mapping out awareness creation strategy on SOM for NIS and creating short public enlightenment messages against irregular migration and SOM.
The statement quoted Mrs Caroline Adepolu of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) officer in charge of migration division, as appreciating A-TIPSOM for its effort, saying that NIS would leverage on the gains from the workshop to improve its prevention strategies.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that A-TIPSOM is an EU funded project and is being implemented by International Ibero-America Foundation for Administration and Public Policy. (NAN)
