International Organisation for Migration, (IOM) Nigeria, has called on the Federal Government to uphold the internationally agreed laws on migration for the Protection of Human Rights.
The IOM Public Information Officer, Stylia Kampani, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
She said the protection of individuals was necessary considering the numbers of innocent people that died from irregular migration.
Kampani said that IOM was involved in educating various stakeholders through workshops and seminars on the dangers of the menace.
According to her, this kind of forums are extremely important, to bring different stakeholders together and inform them on the dangers of irregular migration.
”The stakeholders are also informed on options of safe and legal pathways.
”At the end, we come up with key points which will be disseminated to relevant stakeholders,” she said.
Kampani said in spite of efforts by the Federal Government and the international organisations in Nigeria, including IOM, the rate of irregular migration was increasing.
”That is why IOM is holding programmes and activities to tackle the issue of irregular migration by informing potential migrants through their communities.
”We are also engaging returnees to become the voice and pass the message of their experiences of how it is to migrate irregularly and discourage others in their communities and schools.
”We try to make people to understand that travelling irregularly is not an option because it can be life threatening,” she said.