Worrisome: How Nigerians Are Dying In The Desert in Search Of Greener Pastures

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Illegal migration is a crime which has sent many youths to their early graves. Yet, many are still very willing to subject themselves to it, not minding the grave consequences of such dangerous adventure. For some, they undertake the journey because of:

Their belief that life is greener outside Nigeria. Chibunma Ukwu sampled the opinion of stakeholders and writes that the menace should be discouraged without reservations.

There is no doubt that Illegal migration has proven itself to be bad in every ramification. But why do Nigerian youths still take the risk of travelling through illegal channels despite the efforts of the government to stop this so far? Little wonder stakeholders are expressing concern.

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Equally the maxim, that no place is like home is one that everybody can easily chant, however, it is sad to note that some youths do not hold this axiom to be true and that is the reason they still seek to travel out of Nigeria through any possible means available even if the channel is illegal.

Whereas there is no doubt that the desire of youths and their search for greener pastures is the reason for indulging in illegal migration, the national president of the International Federation of Female Lawyers ( FIDA), Mrs Hauwa Evelyn Shekerau also submits that over population which leads to demographic crisis has been a contributing factor to illegal migration by Nigerian youths to other countries.

According to her, demographic crisis gives room to unemployment in the society thereby making people both the skilled and unskilled to leave the country in droves.

“I want to start by saying that one of the indications of demographic crisis is when you have migration of skilled and unskilled labour. What it means is that when your population is exploding beyond your ability to control it, then one of the things you see is that people who are skilled and people who are unskilled will begin to leave the country in droves because of their search for greener and better pastures.

In most cases, it is frustration that makes them leave the country as there is either no job or the job that they are doing is not enough to meet their needs. These make people not to care rather, they are willing to get out of the country because they believe that over there, life will be better for them than it is here.”

In his own assertion, the National Coordinator, Child Welfare and Orientation Network ( CWON), Barr. Lucky Durueke opined that the economic state of the country is another reason illegal migration is on the increase.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP Sunday, he said, “The increase is because many people due to the economic retraction in the country believe that there is greener pasture outside and the only way to get this greener pasture is to leave the country. Now on leaving the country, the laws always provide the regular process that one has to go through in obtaining paper and all that, regular travelling is costly, regular travelling takes patience and time. You must be certified qualified to do the travelling before you embark on it, even what you are going to do must be sequential and many of these Nigerian youths do not actually know what they are going there to do and because of that, they opt for illegal migration.”

Reacting on this, the National President of the African Women Agribusiness Network, Mrs Yasmin Othman who also have been privileged to travel to all continents of the world save India further disclosed that the various stories which youths are told about green pastures outside Nigeria are not true. 

Citing example with people’s view of Abuja, she said, “You will be surprised it is the same way people outside Abuja think money is everywhere in Abuja but those in Abuja know quite well that they have to go out and work in order to make money. And it is same all over the world. So, It is not greener anywhere now, you can imagine that the British government has asked anyone who wants to come to their country to deposit 3, 000 pounds before you can be given visa to enter UK. This is a ploy to curb the influx of young people because they feel it is the young people who go there without jobs that get into social vices so everybody is doing all they can to curb the rate of people coming into their countries.”

Narrating some of the illegal ways, she disclosed travelling by seas and desserts as some of them.

“I watched a documentary on this illegal migration of Nigerians going through the deserts to Libya, and it was very pathetic. You see young girls and boys in open truck to travel on thousands of mile away from home with no water and food with scorching sun to combat with. Any dead person is thrown out of the vehicle. We were shown bodies lying on the side of the road. It is really quite pathetic and that is why my heart reaches out to them.”

It is still pathetic to note that majority of the youths who travel through illegal channels lose their lives, for the few who survives, life might not be as they had expected.

Further disclosing the true state of life outside Nigeria, a Nigerian- China based businessman, Prince Michael Orji revealed to LEADERSHIP Sunday that life overseas is not as youths are meant to believe. 

He stated, “What we were told is not what we find. There is no money anywhere for people to pluck in the streets. This is a shocking realisation our youths come to face when they arrive here. But at that point, there is no going back because after coming so far, the only alternative is to find something doing for survival and it usually goes that you belong to the profession of whoever that welcomes you even if it is that of THEY ARE DRUG DEALERS.”

Having countered illegal migration of Nigerian youths, stakeholders urge Nigerian government to put more effort in making the country comfortable for people not to want to travel out.

Mrs Hauwa shared this view. “I think we really need to do a lot to ensure sustainable development in this country. When things are okay, you are able to meet your immediate needs and provide for your family, and afford little luxury, it will not be interesting for you to want to go to another country. I have been to almost all the continents in the world yet I have not seen a place that is like Nigeria. But because people have not been there they will think that it is so rosy and that once they get there, the sky is their limit but the truth remains that many Nigerians who are there are stranded.

Some of them, the shame of coming back with nothing to show for it keeps them perpetually there. For some, they are still there because they do not know where to start from when they come back. So it is important that people realise that they cannot make it better outside Nigeria. This is also why enlightenment and campaigns are important in this regard.”

Mrs Othman also appealed to the government to put more effort in increasing jobs for these young people thereby giving them a sense of hope. “This is why government of the country, should make an extra efforts to create jobs for the young people as well as the enabling environment. Millions are being sunk into power, water and security. Thus, government should tackle the issue of the young people and let them have a sense of better future.”