Preventing migration through irregular routes is the greatest challenge to authorities all over the world, the Federal Commissioner of National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), Hajiya Sadiya Umar Farouq has said.
She disclosed this while speaking to Daily Trust on the sideline of the Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on migration and development in Abuja on Thursday.
The NCFRMI Federal Commissioner said "some migrants have genuine reason while others don’t have. In most situation, they are all looking for greener pastures.
"I have always said that migration can not be stopped but we can manage it and that is why we are here to have a common position on migration as a nation."
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the meeting, the coordinator of International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Mojisola Sodeinde said migration will continue to dominate world discourse in years to come, challenging Nigeria to play a leading role in addressing global migration problems.
On its part, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said the meeting was to bring stakeholders together to discuss and agree on the process for conducting the Global Compact on Migration and Refugees (GCM)’s national consultation for the country and strategies for implementation.
The Chief of Mission of IOM, Enira Krdzalic said the organisation will continue to provide the needed support to the implementation of the policy action plans.
In September 2016 at the United Nations High Level meeting on Refugees and Migrants of the United Nations General Assembly, there was a Declaration where the Heads of Governments committed to launch the process to develop GCM.
This is to help strengthen global migration governance and enhance international cooperation in all aspects of international migration.
