Delta State’s youths received a stern caution regarding the perils associated with irregular migration. This warning emerged during a one-day engagement summit held in commemoration of the 2023 International Day of Migrants (IDM) in Asaba, the capital of Delta State.
Representing Mr. Omamuzo Erebe, the Solicitor-General and Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Justice, Mrs. Juliet Ojefia, Director of the Peoples’ Rights Department, highlighted the theme ‘Safe and Orderly Migration, What You Need To Know, Have And Do.’ She emphasized the imperative for a united effort in addressing irregular migration.
Her address stressed the necessity of informing young people about the hazards of irregular migration while educating them on the proper procedures for migration if they choose to pursue it.
Mrs. Ijeoma Nwanze, the Coordinator of the Taskforce on Irregular Migration, emphasized in her keynote speech that the stakeholders’ engagement summit specifically targeted the youth demographic.
“The International Day of Migrants was set aside to raise awareness on rights of migrants, the consequences and the dangers of irregular migration as well as the need to practice safe and orderly migration.
“The Taskforce on Irregular Migration was set up in the state by the immediate past administration after going through the alarming reports that so many Deltans were being trafficked irregularly.
“Part of their mandates was to raise awareness to the public, particularly the youths who are the targets of the smugglers,” she said.
Nwanze told prospective migrants that if they must travel outside the country, they should do so in a genuine manner by seeking information that would be of benefit to them, stressing that most people had been subjected to irregular migration due to ignorance.
