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Tag: IOM

  • NEMA urges state govts to rehabilitate Libyan returnees

    NEMA urges state govts to rehabilitate Libyan returnees

    National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged state governments of the federation to facilitate the rehabilitation of their indigenes, who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    The Director-General, NEMA, Alhaji Mustapha Maihajja, made the call in Lagos on Tuesday while receiving 142 Nigerians who voluntarily returned from Libya.

    Maihajja, who was represented by Alhaji Suleiman Yakubu, NEMA’s South-West Zonal Coordinator, stressed the need for every state to complement the efforts being made at the national and international levels to rehabilitate the returnees.

    The director-general, who noted that Edo and Osun had keyed into such the rehabilitation programme, called on more states to emulate them by offering assistance to the returnees from their states.

    Read also : 149 more Nigerians return from Libya

    Maihajja applauded the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the European Union (EU) for facilitating the repatriation of the returnees and also providing assistance for their rehabilitation.

    The returnees arrived  Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at about 11.25p.m aboard a Nouvelair Airbus A320 aircraft with registration Number: TS-INA, comprising 52 adult females, 86 adult males, two children and two infants.

    The first batch of 245 returnees had earlier arrived at about 8.25p.m at the airport aboard an Afriqiyah Airbus 330-300 aircraft with registration Number 5A-ONR.

    The returnees were also received by officials of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

    NAN

  • Charge d’Affaires – Some Nigerians unwilling to return from Libya

    Charge d’Affaires – Some Nigerians unwilling to return from Libya

    Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Fachano, says some Nigerians in Libya have refused to be repatriated inspite of the “unfavourable situations.”

    Fachano revealed on Thursday that  “not all of them (Nigerians) want to come back home”.

    “Before you can assist them, they will have to sign a consent form, after which emergency travel certificates are issued.

    “I want the public to know that we have some Nigerians who are not willing to return inspite of the unfavourable situations and the fact is that we can’t get them on the flight without their consent”.

    “Migration is a natural and has always happened but becomes an issue when there are people migrating illegally meaning the migrants arrive without proper documentations and conceal their identity.

    “What we do is identify the Nigerians in the camps, register them then issue them an emergency travel certificate but those who happen to be sick get medical treatments before being confirmed to fly.

    “The Internationl Organisation for Migration ( IOM ) has rallied support of the European nations and particularly Italy for the Libyan Coast Guards who are particularly ordered to prevent boats that smuggle migrants and refugees from Libya to Europe.

    “The fact that the coast guards at the Mediterranean Sea are professionally trained and well funded by the EU, they have captured many people who are trying to illegally cross to Europe and returned them to Libya.

    “Unfortunately, we have noticed that in every batch of people brought back to Libya from Europe or the Mediterranean Sea, a larger number of the migrants come from Nigeria because of our population causing us to have much more Nigerians to be repatriated,’’ he said.

    The charge d’affaires said it is worrisome that with all the efforts of the government to rescue stranded migrants, more Nigerians are still trying to go to these places hoping that they will be lucky in achieving their European dream.

    Read also: 3250 have been repatriated from Libya – FG

    The Federal Government said yesterday, that it has so far identified 2,778 Nigerians trapped in the Libyan detention camps.

    Of this figure, government said 250 were repatriated on December 5.

    So far the government said 3,250 have so far returned from the Libyan enclave.

    Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman, Tiwatope Elias-Fatiile, said that the 2778 were Nigerians

    identified in detention camps that embassy officials had been visiting.

    Those registered in these camps, the spokesman said, While the government indicated that the repatriation exercise was a continuous exercise.

    The government said it would continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.

    NAN

     

  • 3250 have been repatriated from Libya – FG

    3250 have been repatriated from Libya – FG

    The Federal Government said 3250 Nigerians have so far been repatriated from Libya in recent times.

    This is even as 300 other Nigerians are to be repatriated from Libya every week.

    Charge d’Affaires of Nigeria in Libya, Mr Illiya Fachano revealed this in an interview and said government continue to make efforts to save Nigerians that are trapped in Libya.

    “We, the embassy of Nigeria in Tripoli, Libya, have been doing our best to register Nigerians.

    “We have visited  the detention camps, and also collaborated with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) to repatriate migrants weekly.

    “We also ensure that we are up to date with the number of Nigerians in specific detention camps.

    “I want it to be clear that the mission and Nigerian government have been doing this long before the CNN report.’’

    “We have asked the Nigerian presidency to provide us with an extra airplane to assist with quick repatriation of registered Nigerians who are willing to return.

    “I want the public to know that we have some Nigerians who are not willing to return despite the unfavorable situations and the fact is that we can’t get them on the flight without their consent.

    Fachano said that the  repatriation exercise would wont  be a temporary thing – as he promised it would be a continuous exercise.

    He said that the government would continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.

    Read also: Obasanjo condemns resurgence of slavery in Africa

    The Foreign Ministry has urged citizens to reach the Nigerian Embassy in Libya for assistance through these emergency numbers: +218910144487, +218925099384 and +218917953365.

    “The contact email addresses for the embassy and the ministry are: nigeria@nigeriantripoli.org and help@foreignaffairs.gov.ng.

    The ministry said that the embassy had received requests for intervention from some relations of the victims based in Nigeria through these contacts.

    NAN

  • Another 257 Nigerians arrive from Libya

    Another 257 Nigerians arrive from Libya

    A few hours after 144 Nigerians voluntarily returned from Libya, another aircraft carrying 257 of their compatriots on Wednesday landed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    The spokesperson for the Lagos Airport Police Command, Mr Joseph Alabi, confirmed this in an interview in Lagos.

    Alabi said the returnees arrived aboard a Libyan Airlines aircraft at the Cargo Wing of the airport at about 1.30 a.m.

    He said they were assisted back to Nigeria by the International Organisation for Migration ( IOM ) and the European Union ( EU ) after being stranded in the volatile North African country enroute Europe.

    Alabi said “We received another batch of Nigerians early this morning from Libya.

    “They comprised of 65 adult females, 179 adult males, seven children and six infants.”

    He also confirmed that four of the returnees had medical cases and were promptly taken away on an ambulance for treatment.

    According to him, the returnees were received by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency, Nigerian Immigration Service, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria.

    Report says another set of 144 Nigerians had arrived on Tuesday at about 6.45 p.m. aboard a chartered Buraq Airlines aircraft with registration number 5A-DMG.

    They were received at the Hajj Camp area of the airport by the Wife of the President, Haija Aisha Buhari, represented by the Wife of the Governor of Lagos State, Mrs Bolanle Ambode.

    Also on ground to receive them was the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa and officials of other government agencies.

    Report also says the Federal Government said it has a record of 2,778 Nigerian migrants registered in “accessible” detention camps in Libya, ready for repatriation.

    The Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement signed by the Spokesperson, Mr. Tiwatope Elias-Fatile on Tuesday, said the country’s embassy in Libya had been visiting detention camps to identify Nigerians for registration.

    The ministry stated that those registered were issued Emergency Travel Certificates.

    Read also: More Nigerians return from Libya

    The ministry also explained that the embassy, in collaboration with the IOM, repatriates 250 migrants weekly and had returned 3,000 of them so far.

    “From the 2,778 registered Nigerians who are still in detention camps, another set of 250 Nigerian migrants will be arriving on Tuesday December 5 via the Murtala Mohammed Airport, Lagos, at 7.00pm, to be received by NEMA officials.

    “The Embassy, in collaboration with the IOM, repatriates 250 Nigerian migrants by flight to Lagos weekly – each flight can accommodate only 250 passengers.

    “The repatriation is a continuous exercise and the Embassy routinely issues the requisite travel documents to the migrants.

    “The Embassy will continue to engage the legitimate government in Libya and other stakeholders in addressing the plight of Nigerian migrants in that country.”

    The ministry further said the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, had invited the Nigerian Embassy’s Head of Mission, Mr. Iliya Fachano, to Abuja for consultations.

    “He is in Abuja already and during the period of the consultations, arrangements have been made for him to address press conferences on the issue.

    NAN

  • 3,480 Nigerians deported from Libya in 10 months – commission

    3,480 Nigerians deported from Libya in 10 months – commission

    A total of 3,480 young Nigerians, mostly girls, was deported from Libya in the last 10 months, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRMI) has said.

    The NCRMI South-West Zonal Director, Mrs Magret Ukegbu, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Tuesday that the deportees were received from Feb. 1 to Nov. 6.

    Ukegbu said that the commission had been working with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and other relevant organisations in receiving the deportees.

    “From February to the first week of this month of November, we have received about 3,480 young Nigerian deportees from Libya.

    “These young Nigerians, mostly girls from age 14, were received in different weeks during the period.

    “We have found out that the IOM, European Union (EU), Dutch and Swiss governments are involved in the deportation of these Nigerians from Libya,’’ she said.

    She said that some of the young people returned with pregnancy.

    According to her, there are more than 12,000 young Nigerians in prisons or stranded in different parts of Libya.

    Ukegbu expressed worry at the situation.

    She said that the commission was working to ensure durable integration of the deportees into the Nigerian society.

    “The commission believes that it is not enough to receive these young Nigerians; it is important that they are urgently given the needed mentoring, training and rehabilitation.

    “My federal commissioner is really working at ensuring that durable solutions are sustained,’’ she said.

  • Deaths of migrants under-reported, says IOM

    The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Monday the real number of migrant deaths were far higher than the numbers reported.

    The UN Migration Agency in a new report on migrant deaths and disappearances worldwide through its Berlin-based Global Migration Data Analysis Centre said many migrants deaths were never recorded.

    “Since 2014, more than 23,000 migrant deaths and disappearances have been recorded globally by the IOM. The real number is likely to be much higher as many deaths are never recorded,” IOM said.

    The report is the third volume in IOM’s Fatal Journeys series, which focuses on how to improve data on missing migrants in order to prevent further deaths, and to enable the families left behind to learn more about the fate of their relatives.

    “Many families continue to spend years living in limbo, not knowing whether a loved one is alive or dead as so few bodies of missing migrants are identified,” the UN migration agency said.

    Fatal Journeys Volume 3: Improving Data on Missing Migrants is published in two parts with part one of the report released on Monday, examining the challenges of collecting data on missing migrants.

    Part two of the report to be released in November, provides in-depth regional analysis of the data currently available, IOM said.

    The first chapter of Fatal Journeys Volume 3 – Part 1 provided an update of data on global migrant fatalities since 2014, and highlighted the risks faced by migrant women and children.

    Data collected by IOM’s ‘Missing Migrants Project’, the only existing database on migrant deaths at the global level, are used to present the known number and profile of dead and missing migrants in different regions of the world.

    The report said that much more could be done to gather data to increase identification rates such as developing intraregional mechanisms to share data more effectively.

    One approach highlighted in the report was the work of forensic teams in Latin America, which had been working together with NGOs and governments to promote the sharing of data to facilitate the identification of missing migrants.

    The report underlined that the problems in communicating data could also be observed in global media coverage of migrant deaths and disappearances.

    “Current standards of media coverage vary widely, and the tone of the content ranges from humanitarian concern to reproduction of negative narratives about migration,” the UN migration agency said.

    It said the inclusion of migration in the United Nations’ 2030 Global Agenda for Sustainable Development and the commitment of States to promote safe, orderly and regular migration, required improved data on indicators of “unsafe migration”.

    Improving information and reporting on who the missing migrants were, where they came from, and above all, when they were most at risk was crucial to building a holistic response to reduce the number of migrant deaths, IOM said.

  • 3,000 migrants rescued on Mediterranean Sea – IOM

    At least 3,000 migrants were rescued trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea on Thursday, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), has said.

    The United Nations migration agency added that more than a dozen rescue operations were underway in the area.

    IOM spokesperson Joel Millman said on Friday that 2,139 migrants were rescued on May 18 alone through more than a dozen different operations in Mediterranean international waters.

    “Additionally, IOM learned of about 500 people rescued in Libyan waters that day,” Millman said.

    He said while the exact numbers of casualty was not known, IOM’s Libya office had reported the remains of six migrants that were found over the past four days in various spots and communities on the Libyan coast.

    Milkman also gave information on the numbers of migrants who crossed from Greece in the first four months of 2017.

    “Almost 6,000 people came from Greece in 2017, 5,200 at the end of April, which was a low number compared to the numbers in 2016 and 2015.

    “Of those 6,000, half came from Syria and Iraq.

    “Following those two countries are Congo, Algeria, Kuwait and Cameroon, ahead of countries like Afghanistan and Iran, that were countries of origin of many migrants in the past,” he added.

    NAN

  • Another batch of 155 Libya returnees arrives Lagos airport

    At least 155 Nigerians on Thursday arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, from Libya after failed attempt to transit the war-torn North African country to Europe for greener pastures.

    The returnees, mainly in their 20s and 30s, were picked and released from various prisons and detention camps in Libya courtesy of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    A total of 342 Nigerians were deported from Libya between last month and March 7, while 161 persons voluntarily returned to the country with the support of IOM on February 14.

    Thursday’s exercise was the fourth this year and ninth of such in the last 15 months.

    A total of 1,521 persons have been repatriated from the North African nation during the period.

    Deputy Director, Search and Rescue, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Dr. Bandele Onimode, said among the returnees were three medical cases.

    “One of the returnees had paralysis, the other psychiatric case, while the last was a minor ailment. All were being catered for by a team of IOM and Port Authority’s doctors shortly after arrival,” he said.

    The NEMA official said the returnees voluntarily chose to return home after they were rescued from harsh and inhuman conditions in Libya.

     

     

  • Italy rescues 6,500 migrants from Mediterranean

    Some 6,500 migrants were saved off the Libyan coast in 40 separate rescue missions on Monday, the Italian coast guard said on Twitter, in one of the largest influxes of refugees in a single day so far this year.

    The migrants were packed on board scores of boats, many of them flimsy rubber dinghies that become dangerously unstable in high seas.

    Most were believed to be Africans, Reuters reported.

    Data from the International Organization for Migration released on Friday said around 105,000 migrants had reached Italy by boat so far in 2016, many of them setting sail from Libya.

    An estimated 2,726 men, women and children have died over the same period trying to make the journey.

    About 1,100 migrants were rescued from boats in the Strait of Sicily on Sunday as they tried to reach Europe, the coast guard said. More refugees were expected to set sail this week because of favourable weather conditions.

    Italy has been on the front line of Europe’s migrant crisis for three years, and more than 400,000 have successfully made the voyage to Italy from North Africa since the beginning of 2014, fleeing violence and poverty.

  • 241 Nigerians ‘brought back’ from Libya

    241 Nigerians living in Libya were on Tuesday brought back to the country by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

    The returnees arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, Lagos, aboard a chartered aircraft operated by Libyan Airlines with registration number 5A-LAR.

    They were documented on arrival at the cargo wing of the airport by officials of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).

    According to an official of IOM, the returnees include 17 males, 67 females, six children and three infants.

    The official said the Nigerians opted to return home because of the harsh conditions they experienced in their bid to travel to Europe.