Don tasks government on sound economy to check illegal migration

The Federal Government has been urged to rebuild its tottering economy to check illegal migration instead of struggling with issues of visa restrictions from the international community.

Prof. Olaide Gbadamosi of the Department of Public and International Law, Osun State University gave the advice yesterday while speaking at the ongoing conference on “Externalisation of borders, detention practices and denial of the right to asylum” organised by the Association for Juridical Studies on Immigration (ASGI) in Lagos.

He maintained that if the nation’s economy were buoyant with lots of job opportunities and economic options, Nigerians would not be in a hurry to emigrate.

Gbadamosi said: “There is need for the Nigerian government to rebuild its economy that is in a tattered state to check illegal migration because if the country is buoyant and there are job opportunities and a lot of economic options, people will not be in a hurry to migrate.

“In the 70s, even if you go abroad to study, you will come back to Nigeria because you are sure of a job knowing that there were better conditions of living here. But a situation where one dollar, which used to be exchanged for N60, is now N360, then something is drastically wrong and that calls for the need to urgently revamp the nation’s economy to accommodate its citizens. There is no place like home. If the home is good, there is no need going to suffer abroad”.

The don, who spoke on “ The phenomenon of returnees in Nigeria: Penal and administrative consequences after return”, further urged the Nigerian authorities to ensure that legal aid was available for returnees who wish to take action against exploitative employers or recruitment agencies.

The United States had last month imposed an immigrant visa ban on Nigeria and five other African nations.

Meanwhile, the Programme Coordinator of ASGI, Giulia Crescini, has stressed the need for European and African organisations to jointly present strategic litigations before the domestic and international courts with a view to redefining rights to asylum and freedom of movement.

She said the goal of the project was to expose European and African nations’ responsibility for fundamental rights violations stemming from border and asylum externalisation policies.

On his part, the Senior Programme Advisor, African Regional Office, Ibrahima Kane, said it was wrong for African countries to allow the European Union to dictate to them how to live.