Misinformation, false promises fuelling irregular migration—FG

Federal Government has identified misinformation and false promises as drivers of irregular migration, warning that decisions based on them “can expose individuals to serious risks and devastating consequences.”

The warning was contained in a speech by the Comptroller General of the Nigeria Immigration Service NIS, Kemi Nandap at a Stakeholder Sensitisation and Engagement Seminar in Abuja on Wednesday.

Represented by the Deputy Comptroller General DCG in charge of Visa and Residency, Dr Franca Usiwoma Nwanneka, the CG said: “Every day people choose to migrate in pursuit of education, employment, safety, and better opportunities. While these aspirations are legitimate, decisions based on misinformation, false promises, or limited awareness of safe and lawful migration pathways can expose individuals to serious risks and devastating consequences.”

The seminar was themed “Bridging the Information Gap: Promoting Informed, Safe and Regular Migration.”

Nandap said human trafficking, migrant smuggling, travel fraud and irregular migration highlight the risk of inadequate information and intelligence sharing among operational stakeholders.

According to her, “Preventing these risks requires more than border control. It begins with equipping prospective migrants with accurate, timely, and reliable information to make informed decisions and pursue safe, lawful migration pathways.”

The Comptroller General said the NIS, as “the agency with statutory responsibility for immigration control and migration management,” continues to strengthen its operational capacities through “institutional reforms, modern border management technologies, intelligence gathering, and improved service delivery.”

She cited the recent deployment of the border control and immigration management system and other technology-driven platforms as proof of the service’s determination “to build a modern, responsive and intelligence-led immigration service.”

She, however, admitted the limits of technology. “Nevertheless, we recognize that even the most sophisticated border management systems cannot on their own address the underlying factors that encourage irregular migration,” she said.

Nandap said the seminar was convened to enable actionable solutions to emerging challenges of irregular migration, adding that “sensitization of the general public, community engagement, and cooperation among relevant institutions must remain central to our approach. Migration sensitization is a shared responsibility that cannot be left to the Nigeria Immigration Service alone”, she added.

Nandap called on “government agencies, security institutions, development partners, traditional and community leaders, civil society organizations, educational institutions, transport operators, and the media to move beyond seminar dialogue and take coordinated, practical action to combat misinformation, raise public awareness, and promote safe, informed, and lawful migration.

“Together, we must ensure that accurate migration information reaches every community, particularly those most vulnerable to exploitation and irregular migration”, she added.  Senior Programme Associate of the International Organization for Migration IOM, Nnenna Onuoha, who spoke on behalf of the IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria, Mrs Sharon Dimanche, said the partnership between the IOM and the NIS “have been and have continued to grow stronger and have produced tangible results.”

Onuoha said the IOM wished participants “fruitful deliberations and actionable outcomes” as they consider what can be done “to make regular migration more of an everyday thing in the country.”