Stakeholders have called on traditional, religious ,community leaders, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to intensify efforts to promote safe, regular and informed migration.

The call was made at a community town hall meeting on migration organised by ActionAid Nigeria, in collaboration with CSOnetMADE and the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) yesterday in Abuja.

The Director, Migrant Affairs, NCFRMI, Ambassador Catherine Udida, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner, Tijani Aliyu Ahmed, said migration remained an important part of society, as people moved in search of employment, education, business opportunities, family reunification, safety and improved livelihoods.

She noted that migration could contribute positively to families and communities through the transfer of skills and knowledge, remittances and access to new opportunities.

She added that  migration also present significant challenges, including irregular migration, human trafficking, migrant smuggling, exploitation and unsafe recruitment practices, saying some migrants are faced with  misinformation, family separation and difficulties upon returning and attempting to reintegrate into their communities.

She said hence the need to bring  together the experiences of traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, migrants, returnees, their families and community groups to address migration-related challenges.

She said the NCFRMI recognised the need to ensure that people, particularly young people, had access to accurate and reliable information to enable them to make informed decisions about migration.

Udida emphasised that seeking opportunities outside one’s community or country was not inherently wrong, but urged prospective migrants to carefully consider how, where and under what circumstances they would migrate.

She urged intending migrants to ask critical questions before making decisions, including whether an opportunity was genuine, whether the recruitment process was legitimate, the risks involved, available regular migration pathways and where assistance could be obtained if challenges arose.

She called on traditional rulers, religious leaders, parents, community leaders and CSOs to create more opportunities for young people to access reliable information and openly discuss their migration aspirations.

Udida also stressed the importance of listening to migrants and returnees, saying their experiences could provide valuable insight into the realities of migration and help identify areas requiring improvement, adding that communities need to know where to obtain reliable migration information and where to seek assistance when they encountered migration-related challenges.

“Migration is a reality, and it will continue to be part of our society. Our responsibility, therefore, is to ensure that people are not forced to make life-changing decisions based on rumours, deception or incomplete information,” she said.

Also speaking, Programme Coordinator, ActionAid Nigeria, Abraham Aba, said the organisation was approaching migration from a national perspective, noting that meaningful interventions must begin at the community level.

According to him, migration was a legitimate right, but problems arose when it became irregular or unsafe.