…UN warns of threat to global asylum

THE Federal Government has said that Nigeria will continue to keep its borders open to asylum seekers as well as upholding non-refoulement treaty for Cameroonian and Nigerien refugees.
The Honourable Federal Commissioner of the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Tijani Ahmed, disclosed this in Abuja during an address ahead of the 2026 World Refugee Day themed ‘Until Everyone is Safe’, which marks the 75th anniversary of the 1951 UN Convention that will be observed on Monday, 22 June.

Ahmed explained that Nigeria continues to uphold the international principle of non-refoulement (the fundamental legal protection preventing the forced return of refugees to countries where they face persecution or threats to their lives), by registering thousands of displaced persons from Cameroon and Niger Republic in frontline states, including Benue, Borno, and Cross River.
The NCFRMI chief insisted that  “Nigeria remains resolved in opening its borders to persons forcefully displaced as a result of conflict.
“About 3,000 Nigerian refugees were voluntarily repatriated back from Cameroon in January 2026.”

He noted that any Nigerian migrants willing to return home will be repatriated back but it has to first be voluntarily done and not by force.
Speaking on the impact of globalisation on border closures, Executive Director of the Justice, Development and Peace Caritas Initiative (JDPCI), Reverend Father Sebastian Sanni, noted that with the realities of modern globalisation, isolating national borders is no longer a viable economic option.
He said what this means is that Nigeria must develop sophisticated, multi stakeholder internal mechanisms to manage displaced populations.

The cleric emphasised that the scale of the crisis requires a conducive environment that allows non state actors to provide aid effectively.
He said “The government cannot do it alone, therefore on a day like this, it is a day to call for strategic collaboration between the government and different stakeholders in reaching out to the most displaced in the society.
“The government, on its part, should also create a conducive atmosphere that will make it possible for other development partners to come in and work with them.”

Highlighting the interventions of the Catholic Church, Sanni disclosed that the JDPCI has been at the forefront of providing sustainable livelihoods and legal aid to displaced persons in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for over three decades.
“We have a skill acquisition centre, and through that, we have been able to train refugees on artificial intelligence, cyber security, fashion, and catering in order to provide sustainable livelihoods.
“We are also in partnership with the UNHCR and we have a legal desk in our office where over the years we have provided pro bono legal services to rejected asylum seekers,” he explained.

Saluting the resilience of displaced persons globally, the JDPCI boss reminded the public and policymakers that safeguarding refugees is a fundamental obligation under international conventions.
Sanni said “The message I have to put out today is that refugees must be protected. It is their right to be protected, not a privilege.”
Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has warned that the global right to seek asylum is under immense pressure, urging nations to reaffirm their commitment to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

UNHCR Representative to Nigeria, His Excellency, Ambassador Arjun Jain, gave the warning urging global leaders that seeking safety is a non-negotiable human right.
Represented by the UNHCR Deputy Representative, Bernadette Muteshi, Jain said that the treaty was established after the Second World War as a universal promise to protect anyone fleeing conflict or persecution.
He said “Today, that safety net is under immense pressure but human rights are not negotiable.

“Safety should not be a privilege. No one is truly safe until the most vulnerable among us are safe.”
The agency said it aims to halve the number of refugees trapped in long term displacement over the next decade by expanding access to jobs, healthcare, education, and voluntary resettlement.
“No one chooses to leave everything they love behind. The right to seek safety is a sacred promise of shared humanity,” Jain said.