Hajia Hafsat Yusuf, Founder, Mothers of Earth International Foundation, a non-governmental organisation, has called on governments at all levels and stakeholders to engage in programmes that can check illegal migrations.
Yusuf made the call in Abuja on Thursday in a news conference, observing that many Nigerians with “illegal status are being maltreated outside the country.
“It is a concern that available records reveal that no fewer than 8, 000 Nigerians may have been deported from Libya, Spain and Italy, aside those that died in questionable circumstances.
“Significant number of them may have gone out of the country in an attempt to get a better but the decision turned out to be a bitter life with many of them getting caught up with traffickers.
“Nigerians with illegal status are exposed to possible spread of infectious diseases; they may be trafficked for sexual exploitation and involvement in criminal activities.
“Most of them suffer shock and physiological trauma of challenges they encounter, including discrimination, among others.”
She traced the cause of migration to poor governance, lack of social safety intervention nets, lack of justice, equity and fair play.
Yusuf, therefore, called on the stakeholders and governments at all levels to have a displacement tracking, especially in the north-eastern part of the country and other flash points.
She also suggested a reorganised social intervention programme to cover the most vulnerable, a good policy on voluntary return assisted programme and a thorough communication line among Diaspora commission, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, embassies and high commissions.
