Tag Archives: Illegal Immigrants

Nigeria Immigration Service Clamps Down On Illegal Immigrants

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The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service says it is commencing raids on illegal immigrants across border towns in the state.

The State Area Controller of Immigration, Mr Ajibola Bayeroju, said the step becomes imperative in view of involvement of illegal immigrants in criminal activities across the state which has been on the increase in recent times.

He said activities of illegal immigrants were responsible for many armed robbery incidents experienced in the state in southwest Nigeria.

Mr Bayeroju made the remarks while parading three suspected illegal immigrants from Benin Republic arrested in Ayetoro area of the state for an alleged armed robbery.

He said permission for the raid on illegal immigrants has been obtained from the authorities of the Service.

“We are trying to raid them all over the state; that is what we are trying to do.

“A lot of them are here illegally. We are seriously working on that.

“They are all from the Republic of Benin, they are non-Nigerians, they come to Nigeria to rob.

“We are trying to make Nigeria a safe country because of the security situation in the country.

“I am now calling for more synergy with other sister security agencies.

“After leaving this place, they are going to be handed over to the police for prosecution,” he said.

Items recovered from the suspects include a cut to size short gun among others.

One of the suspects, who denied any wrongdoing, said the gun found on him was being used as a member of a vigilante group from the area.

 

Source: Channels TV

27,500 Nigerians, Eritreans, others arrive Italy illegally in October.

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About 27,500, mostly Nigerians and Eritreans, arrived Italy in October, the European Union’s border agency, Frontex, said.

The agency said nearly 27,500 migrants arrived in Italy in October, an all-time monthly record fuelled by favourable weather conditions.

It said on Wednesday in Rome that the figure was the highest monthly number ever recorded in the Central Mediterranean and more than twice as many as in the previous month.

The agency said that the arrivals surged because, after “relatively poor weather conditions in September, people smugglers loaded more people than usual on unseaworthy vessels before winter makes crossings impossible’’.

It said that it led to a very high number of deaths, reporting that 127 bodies were recovered on the sea stretch between Italy and North Africa and that it was likely that many more persons drowned.

“Tragedies were continuing in November as the Italian coastguard recovered one body and 580 migrants were rescued in Wednesday sea operations.

“This added to seven bodies recovered and almost 900 saved Monday and Tuesday,’’ it said.

Frontex said that most migrants who landed in Italy in October came from Nigeria and Eritrea.

It said that the year’s provisional tally of arrivals was nearly 159,500, up 13 per cent compared to the same period in 2015.

The agency noted that Italy became the main entry point for EU-bound migrants in the first half of 2016, after the so-called Balkan route via Greece was closed by an EU-Turkey repatriation deal and tighter border controls.

“Greece recorded 1,700 landings last month, compared to more than 170,000 in October, 2015.

“Migrants mostly came from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq,’’ it said.

The thousands of Nigerians who seek to enter Europe through Italy via the Mediterranean has been a source of concern to both the Nigerian and European governments.

The Nigerians often travel the rough and risky road route via Niger to arrive in war-torn Libya where they join others to try to cross the Mediterranean.

On Tuesday, the Nigerian anti-trafficking agency, NAPTIP, said it intercepted 50 Nigerians who had embarked on the route.

“There are males and females as well as three minors in the group and they all fall within the ages of three and 45 years,” a NAPTIP official said.

22,500 Nigerians illegally Crossed Mediterranean in 2016 – EU

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The European Union has said over 22,500 illegal migrants from Nigeria crossed Mediterranean Sea to Europe between January and September as against 23,000 in 2015.

The Deputy Head of EU Delegation in Nigeria, Mr. Richard Young, made this disclosure on Thursday at a media workshop in Abuja.

Young expressed concern that the number of Nigerians taking dangerous adventure through Mediterranean to Europe within nine months in 2016 was higher than those who did same throughout 2015.

According to him, there has been huge increase in migrants crossing border without the right travel document to Europe from all over the world.

He said, “In 2014, the number of people travelling irregularly into Europe clinched 280,000 people; in 2015 it rose to 1.8 million in 2015.

“From January to September 2016, the number is about 420,000; we are expecting that the number will rise to 800,000 before the end of the year.

“Within this number, people coming from Nigeria in 2012 was 800, in 2013 the number was 2,900, in 2014 the number was 8,700 in 2015 the number was 23,000.

“And between January and September 2016 the number is 22, 500.”
While expressing concern that the people crossed Mediterranean on boats, he said, “3,700 drowned in Mediterranean Sea in 2016 alone, which indicated that one in 50 people drowned.”

He, however, said that the EU had put in place measures to address illegal migrants from Nigeria.

Young explained that these measures include the three ‘R’ policy of return, re-admission and reintegration for the illegal migrants.

According to him, there is an agreement that the illegal migrants be sent back home and be empowered with vocational skills that could enhance their living in Nigeria, but the training would be done in Nigeria.

He said, “The second thing we are trying to do is tackling the smuggling routes.

“We are trying to put in place some level of collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service, with NAPTIP to tackle this issue.”
He stressed that if the immigration issue was not properly addressed, it might have longer impact on the EU-Nigerian relationship.

He, therefore, urged Nigeria to grow its economy and address poverty so as to address the root cause of illegal migrants.

NAN

Nigeria Deports 53 Illegal Immigrants

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The Niger State Command of the Nigeria Immigration Service said on Wednesday that 53 illegal immigrants have been repatriated to Niger Republic.

Mrs Tamuno Oyedeji, Comptroller of Immigration Service in the state disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.

Adededji said the state government provided vehicles for the transportation of the illegal immigrants to the border post at Jibia in Katsina state. “We successfully handed them over to the Niger Republic Immigration officers at the border post,’’ she said.

Adedeji said that the immigrants were repatriated because their presents constitute security threats in the state.

She said that most of the illegal immigrants possess expired documents, while others have no legal documents to back their legitimate stay in the country.

The comptroller said that the command has taken proactive security measures to ensure only immigrants with proper documents are allowed into the country through Babana border with Benin Republic.

Credit: NAN

MSF rescues 122 Nigerian and Sudanese migrants on the Mediterranean sea

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MSF, a medical humanitarian organisation, has rescued 112 Nigerian and Sudanese migrants were rescued from tightly packed boats on the Mediterranean sea on Sunday, September 27.

 

The rescue exercise was carried out by MSF Sea ships; Argos and Dignity.

Amongst the Nigerians rescued is a young child named Miracle.

Nigerian-migrant-Miracle. Photo Credit : MSF

In a plea to the European Union, the organisation advocates for a safe passage for migrants and refugees.

201 Illegal Immigrants Deported From Niger

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The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) said on Sunday in Minna, that it repatriated 201 illegal immigrants in Niger from February to March. Ezekiel Kaura, the Comptroller of Immigration in the state, stated this when he addressed newsmen. According to him, the repatriation will assist the government to flush out potential trouble makers in the state. “We are doing some mop up of illegal immigrants in the state because of the elections that is about to take place.

“There is need to get rid of these illegal ones in our midst so that they do not become ready for some persons who may use them to cause havoc during and after the elections.

He said the command deported 107 illegal immigrants in February, adding that another batch of 65 non-Nigerians were apprehended in March, bringing the number to 172. “We are expecting another 29 illegal immigrants from Kotangora area of the state. So, at the end of the day, we have 201.”

Kaura said that NIS would continue to get rid of illegal immigrants in the country in line with the policy of the Federal Government.

Credit: NAN