The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says 14,118 Nigerians have migrated irregularly to Italy this year alone.
IMO’s Chief of Mission, Enira Krdzalic, disclosed this while speaking at the launch of the EU-IOM Initiative for migration protection and reintegration in Abuja on Thursday.
Krdzalic said a total of 111,148 migrants had arrived in Italy by sea after crossing the Mediterranean, adding that “Nigeria accounted for the main country of origin of migrants arriving in Italy.”
She also disclosed that between January and June 2017, more than 1,800 Nigerian migrants stranded in Libya and Niger had been assisted to return to Nigeria by IOM.
The IOM boss decried the increasing trend of irregular migration from Nigeria and called for urgent action to address the situation.
Speaking on the EU-IOM initiative, the chief of mission said the programme would help to protect the security and rights of migrants along the central Mediterranean migration routes.
She said the initiative was also meant to strengthen the technical and operational capacities of institutions involved in migration related activities.
European Union’s Head of Cooperation, Kurt Cornelis, said the initiative was being implemented in 14 countries, adding that Nigeria had been allocated 15.5 millon Euros for three years.
The Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons, Mrs Sadiya Farouq, commended the international bodies and other civil society organisations for their assistance to the government.
Farouq, however, stressed that all activities must have integrated focus, insisting that “we should avoid implementing all programmes in fragmented and isolated manner.” (NAN)