Stakeholders harp on collective efforts to promote safe, regular migration

Stakeholders have called on traditional and religious leaders, community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to promote safe, regular and informed migration.

The call was made at a community town hall meeting on migration organised by ActionAid Nigeria, in collaboration with CSOnetMADE and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) on Monday in Abuja.

The Director, Migrant Affairs, NCFRMI, Ambassador Catherine Udida, speaking on behalf of the Commissioner, Honourable Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, said migration remained an important part of society, with people moving in search of employment, education, business opportunities, family reunification, safety and improved livelihoods.

She noted that migration could contribute positively to families and communities through the transfer of skills and knowledge, remittances and access to new opportunities.

She said migration also presented significant challenges, including irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, exploitation and unsafe recruitment practices.

According to her, some migrants also face misinformation, family separation and difficulties when returning and attempting to reintegrate into their communities.

“Today is not just about listening to presentations; it is about listening to one another,” she said.

She stressed the importance of bringing together the experiences of traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, migrants, returnees, their families and community groups.

She said the NCFRMI recognised the need to ensure that people, particularly young people, had access to accurate and reliable information to enable them to make informed decisions about migration.

The director emphasised that seeking opportunities outside one’s community or country was not inherently wrong, but urged prospective migrants to consider how, where and under what circumstances they would migrate.

She urged intending migrants to ask critical questions before making decisions, including whether an opportunity was genuine, whether the recruitment process was legitimate, what risks were involved, what regular migration pathways were available, and where assistance could be obtained if challenges arose.

“These are conversations that must begin within our homes and communities,” she said.

She called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents, community leaders and CSOs to create more opportunities for young people to access reliable information and openly discuss their migration aspirations.

The director further stressed the importance of listening to migrants and returnees, saying their experiences could provide valuable insight into the realities of migration and help identify areas requiring improvement.

She said that communities needed to know where to obtain reliable migration information and where to seek assistance when they encountered migration-related challenges.

“Migration is a reality, and it will continue to be part of our society. Our responsibility, therefore, is to ensure that people are not forced to make life-changing decisions based on rumours, deception or incomplete information,” she said.

Also, the Programme Coordinator ActionAid Nigeria, Abraham Aba, said they were looking at things from a national perspective as it starts from somewhere which was the community.

According to him, migration itself was legitimate right, but the problem comes when it becomes irregular or unsafe.