The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has called on the international community to strive to encourage regular migration and do more to correct irregular migration.
The Comptroller General of the NIS, Mohammed Babandede who made this call in his address at the just concluded Global Migration Summit with the theme, “Migration: The Economy, Human Security and Diaspora Value”, organized by the Journalists International Forum for Migration at Abuja noted that the Service was emphasizing that both regular and irregular migration were part of life.
Babandede who was represented at the summit by the spokesman of the Service, DCI Sunday James however maintained that nations should respect the dignity and honour of individuals found irregularly by correcting the irregular set up stating that the Nigerian government had done that by the introduction of the migrant e-registration exercise where even those who were undocumented migrants have six months to regularize their stay in the country.
In his words, “Nations should encourage regular migration and do also to correct irregular. For the purpose of emphasis, what the service is emphasizing on is that both regular and irregular migration are part of life but nations should respect the dignity and honour of individuals found irregularly by correcting the irregular set up and that the Nigerian government has done by the introduction of the migrant e-registration exercise where even those who are undocumented migrants have six months as necessary period as given by Mr. President to be able to come forward without coercion, without force and for free to be documented and to remain here with us as citizens of the community.”
He observed that any time issues were raised concerning migration, as part of its core mandate, the Service always support and add value at regional, continental and globally as a government agency saddled with the responsibility of management of migration, especially regular and for the purpose of enhancing the dignity and honour of the citizens irregular.
“Somebody may ask, why regular and irregular? Life is dynamic and mobility is part of living. People must of necessity move from one place to another for several reasons but the blame on why people move is like asking why birth and death. It is natural to man to want to better his or her lifestyle. Migration is not in its entirety bad but it is better done in a regular pattern.
“To add value with valid documents, individuals are expected to migrate with valid documents especially their travel documents and also employment papers to pave way for better settlement wherever the individual will go to or travels to”, he admonished.
Photo: NIS boss, Mohammed Babandede.
Send your news, press releases/articles to augustinenwadinamuo@yahoo.com. Also, follow us on Twitter @ptreporters and on Facebook on facebook.com/primetimereporters or call the editor on 07030661526, 08053908817.
