Amb. Brigitt Ory, Ambassador of Germany to Nigeria, on Wednesday reaffirmed the country’s support for Nigeria in the fight against irregular migration.
Ory made the pledge while addressing newsmen after a closed-door meeting on migration at the Pan African Institute for Global Affairs and Strategy (PAIGAS) in Abuja.
The meeting held on the sideline of the working visit by Mrs Annette Widmann-Mauz, Minister of State of German Federal Chancellery and Commissioner for Migration, Refugees and Integration, to Nigeria.
According to her, we have to discuss with the people involved in illegal migration and to support legal migration, therefore the prospective.
Ory said, “We often see how much suffering people have faced if they use illegal ways to migrate, on the other side, there are so many prospects.
“We have to inform, we have to give guidance and we can support; Germany is supportive in its supporting centres with language and vocational training.
“Somewhere, people see that they have a real perspective to get regular way of migration and therefore, we have to work hand-in-hand, we need more of this.
“It is good for people so they can avoid suffering and pain, and we can support and make efforts for country of origin.
“The best people can bring all these potential in their country and we support as EU and Germany in collaboration, which we need and can give the legal way and path to immigrate.”
Earlier, the President of PAIGAS, Amb. Martin Uhomoinhi, said the visit would further boost cooperation between German government and PAIGAS in tackling irregular migration which affect not only Nigeria, but the world.
According to him, one of the major challenges facing the community today, apart from environment, climate change, terrorism, the next one is irregular migration.
“PAIGAS is an institution made up of retired career ambassadors. It is concerned in fights involving irregular migration and hazards this poses to young Nigerians, since past three years.
“We hosted the distinguished minister and we discussed lot of issues on irregular migration, we hope this will be stepping stone to deepen relationship which exists between PAIGAS and Germany.
“We are here exchanging ideas and building confidence, mapping out ways to deepen cooperation to stem tides against irregular migration.
“We have understood the issue now more than before and we are ready to continue to engage to deal with the issue,” he said.
PAIGAS is a research centre that seeks to promote pan-African perspective of Nigeria.
