It is quite possible for the gullible to believe that the reported migration by Nigerians, especially in recent years, is exaggerated. After all, the country’s population has yet to appear ebbing in any way. However, just a visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s departure hall would remove gullibility and exaggerated feeling when the market-like atmosphere of the hall is laid bare. To be sure, first time visitors could believe that the lot of people either come into the hall to bid loved ones farewell or are just on a casual visit. But a close observation would soon reveal that the travelers are far more than those accompanying them to say ‘safe trip’. Further probing would reveal desperate faces eager to get into the departure lounge on to the aircrafts and then take to the skies to God-knows-where.
A traveler would also volunteer words, if prodded even a little, out of frustration: “This country wastes and I just can’t wait to get out of here. I know it would be hard over there but I am also sure it would be worth more than staying back here and getting frustrated every day.”
To the non-travelers, only one question stands out like a sore thumb: why are they leaving when they are not really sure what awaits them where they are headed? The answer depends on the honesty or otherwise in providing the answer. But there is something unmistakable. That is, things have fast fallen apart for the citizens in Nigeria, especially in meeting basic needs.
As risky as the venture of migrating without requisite documents, there are still humane people at the other end who just cannot beer seeing fellow humans suffer deprivation. In meeting the migrants’ needs, however, lots of problems have been created for the home governments. Nigerian migrants have not always been considerate in dealing with the host governments.
The latest xenophobic incidents in South Africa, and the fact that lots of Nigerians were trapped in the former apartheid enclave raised the long-standing issue one again. At the peak of the incidents which, as expected, had flared diplomatic tension between Nigeria and South Africa, about 600 Nigerians had been arranged to be evacuated on homeward journey; only for about half the number to be discovered as having no valid documents to enter South Africa in the first instance and were barred from leaving by the South African immigration officials. In more direct words, they were illegal immigrants. It took diplomatic maneuvering by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to get the evacuees to board the plane onward Lagos. It was yet another embarrassment for Nigeria which has been at the center of contributing the highest number of illegal immigrants in Africa. In total, 493 of the projected 600 Nigerians were brought home by last weekend in two batches of 178 and 315.
A United Nations estimate of December 2017 put the number of Nigerians in South Africa at 27, 000, one of the least among nationals of other countries on the continent leaving in South Africa. Unconfirmed figures however put the number at above 300,000, which is a possibility, considering how Nigerians have continued to pour into the country in large number since December 2017 as they tried to escape from the deprivations at home.
In addition to the foregoing is the issue of illegal migration by Nigerians into Europe, for which the European Union has become gravely concerned but to which the Nigerian government does not seem committed to doing much about it.
It is just as curious that the Nigerian government opted to explain away the latest xenophobic attacks in South Africa as ‘political’, for which the latter quickly sent an envoy to President Muhammadu Buhari, bearing a ‘letter of apology’ that his host had ‘accepted’ and closing the ‘case’, as it were. The illegal migration issue therein had been boxed up – to be re-opened soonest in probably more xenophobic attacks as the illegality persists.
The Nigerian government has its own side of the illegal immigration saga though. The hope of greener pasture elsewhere is usually a mirage. The risk is not worth it. How many illegal migrants actually find worthwhile things to do at their destination if they do get there? Apart from those who are unfortunate to end their lives on their way, majority of those who survive the rigours of the journey end up in detention camps and prisons. The amount of money being invested on the journeys abroad could have been used to set up small scale enterprises here at home. Some government spokespersons have even offered their opinion that the world economic outlook is gloomy, chaotic and uncertain. So where will Nigerians run to with this global uncertainty and countries being mindful of illegal aliens as additional and unwanted problem?
The debate goes on while the problem persists.
It is quite possible for the gullible to believe that the reported migration by Nigerians, especially in recent years, is exaggerated. After all, the country’s population has yet to appear ebbing in any way. However, just a visit to the Murtala Muhammed International Airport’s departure hall would remove gullibility and exaggerated feeling when the market-like atmosphere of the hall is laid bare. To be sure, first time visitors could believe that the lot of people either come into the hall to bid loved ones farewell or are just on a casual visit. But a close observation would soon reveal that the travelers are far more than those accompanying them to say ‘safe trip’. Further probing would reveal desperate faces eager to get into the departure lounge on to the aircrafts and then take to the skies to God-knows-where.
A traveler would also volunteer words, if prodded even a little, out of frustration: “This country wastes and I just can’t wait to get out of here. I know it would be hard over there but I am also sure it would be worth more than staying back here and getting frustrated every day.”
To the non-travelers, only one question stands out like a sore thumb: why are they leaving when they are not really sure what awaits them where they are headed? The answer depends on the honesty or otherwise in providing the answer. But there is something unmistakable. That is, things have fast fallen apart for the citizens in Nigeria, especially in meeting basic needs.
As risky as the venture of migrating without requisite documents, there are still humane people at the other end who just cannot beer seeing fellow humans suffer deprivation. In meeting the migrants’ needs, however, lots of problems have been created for the home governments. Nigerian migrants have not always been considerate in dealing with the host governments.
The latest xenophobic incidents in South Africa, and the fact that lots of Nigerians were trapped in the former apartheid enclave raised the long-standing issue one again. At the peak of the incidents which, as expected, had flared diplomatic tension between Nigeria and South Africa, about 600 Nigerians had been arranged to be evacuated on homeward journey; only for about half the number to be discovered as having no valid documents to enter South Africa in the first instance and were barred from leaving by the South African immigration officials. In more direct words, they were illegal immigrants. It took diplomatic maneuvering by the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa to get the evacuees to board the plane onward Lagos. It was yet another embarrassment for Nigeria which has been at the center of contributing the highest number of illegal immigrants in Africa. In total, 493 of the projected 600 Nigerians were brought home by last weekend in two batches of 178 and 315.
A United Nations estimate of December 2017 put the number of Nigerians in South Africa at 27, 000, one of the least among nationals of other countries on the continent leaving in South Africa. Unconfirmed figures however put the number at above 300,000, which is a possibility, considering how Nigerians have continued to pour into the country in large number since December 2017 as they tried to escape from the deprivations at home.
In addition to the foregoing is the issue of illegal migration by Nigerians into Europe, for which the European Union has become gravely concerned but to which the Nigerian government does not seem committed to doing much about it.
It is just as curious that the Nigerian government opted to explain away the latest xenophobic attacks in South Africa as ‘political’, for which the latter quickly sent an envoy to President Muhammadu Buhari, bearing a ‘letter of apology’ that his host had ‘accepted’ and closing the ‘case’, as it were. The illegal migration issue therein had been boxed up – to be re-opened soonest in probably more xenophobic attacks as the illegality persists.
The Nigerian government has its own side of the illegal immigration saga though. The hope of greener pasture elsewhere is usually a mirage. The risk is not worth it. How many illegal migrants actually find worthwhile things to do at their destination if they do get there? Apart from those who are unfortunate to end their lives on their way, majority of those who survive the rigours of the journey end up in detention camps and prisons. The amount of money being invested on the journeys abroad could have been used to set up small scale enterprises here at home. Some government spokespersons have even offered their opinion that the world economic outlook is gloomy, chaotic and uncertain. So where will Nigerians run to with this global uncertainty and countries being mindful of illegal aliens as additional and unwanted problem?
The debate goes on while the problem persists.