The Federal Government and the International Organisation for Migration have evacuated no fewer than 429 stranded Nigerians in the first quarter of 2023.
The period under review was from January to March 2023.
The government and the IOM also evacuated 144 stranded Nigerians from Niger Republic on April 4.
The findings were obtained from media reports, IOM and the National Emergency Management Agency.
According to the findings, 279 stranded Nigerians were evacuated from Libya and 150 from the Niger Republic.
It was reported on February 14 that NEMA said it received a batch of 150 distressed Nigerians from Niamey, Niger Republic.
The profile of the returnees indicated that 98 were male adults, male children 11, and two male infants.
While 24 were female adults, 13 were female children with two female infants.
On March 28, the Federal Government, in collaboration with the IOM evacuated 151 stranded Nigerians from Benghazi, Libya, as the government resumed its voluntary evacuation in Libya.
Within 24 hours, on March 29, they evacuated 128 more Nigerian migrants living illegally in Libya to Nigeria under the voluntary evacuation exercise.
According to the United Nations, irregular migration poses multiple challenges to countries of origin, transit, and destination, as well as to migrants themselves.
Migrants in irregular situations are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation, and abuse.
Speaking with our correspondent on Friday, a retired ambassador to Mexico, Ogbole Amedu-Ode, blamed unemployment and an inconducive political environment for high irregular migration.
Amedu-Ode added, “The unemployment rate for Nigeria stands at 33 per cent (2022 figure). Added to that, is an inconducive political atmosphere.
“This mix is responsible for Nigerians voting with their feet. Those who can afford it do so through legal or legitimate migration channels and those who cannot take the perilous trans-Sahara and trans-Mediterranean route.”
Also, a retired ambassador to Algeria, Mohammed Mabdul, explained that Nigerians were generally restless and keen to travel abroad for the so-called “greener pasture”.
