Mr. Mohammed Mohammed, the Nigerian Charge’ d’Affaires to Libya, has reaffirmed the Federal Government’s stand against irregular migration following the repatriation of 164 Nigerian migrants from Libya.
The envoy, in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja, warned against such dangerous trips.
Mohammed handed down the warning during an exercise undertaken by the Nigerian Embassy in Tripoli, Libya, in collaboration with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and the Libyan authorities.
He said that Nigerian returnees were detained in Libyan detention centres and were earlier arrested on various offences.
Mohammed listed the offences as illegal entry, overstay, and lack of proper documents among others.
“They were advised to avoid irregular migrations through perilous journeys across the desert and the Mediterranean Sea.’’
He said that the repatriated Nigerians comprised 38 men 120 women as well as four children and two infants.
The envoy said that such unwholesome trips usually arose as a result of promises of a better life in Europe or elsewhere and ultimately ended up in exploitation.
The exercise was conducted by the embassy with the cooperation of the Libyan Government and the IOM in Libya as part of the organisation’s Voluntary Humanitarian Repatriation (VHR) programme.
The programme, aimed at providing a lifesaving, dignified and expedited return to willing migrants to their home country, is the 10th carried out by the Nigerian Embassy in Libya this year.
The Nigerian nationals, who arrived at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, Lagos, on Tuesday at about 1730hrs, left Libya aboard chartered flight No:UZ 189 same day.
Speaking to NAN via a telephone interview, Mohammed admonished Nigerians to avoid every unusual solicitation to undertake any such journeys without knowing what lied ahead of them.
“Life may appear rosy on the other side but we must understand that not all that glitters is gold, as the saying goes.
“Do not listen to anyone making you promises of job or even a better life elsewhere by offering to take you to Europe across the desert or the Mediterranean Sea.
“Count the costs of such an adventure before falling for it; many lives have been wasted through such simple promises,’’ Mohammed said.
