Follow Us on Google
African migration stakeholders have urged European governments to simplify their visa acquisition process for Africans, aiming to curb irregular migration flows.
The call was made yesterday at the end of the two-day EU-Africa regional meeting for civil society organizations held in Madrid, Spain.
Speaking on the outcome of the meeting, the Patriotic Citizens Initiatives (PCI) Executive Director, Osita Osemene, conveyed that the stakeholders acknowledged that ignorance of the regular migration paths among Africans also contributed to the rising irregular migration tide.
“For more than a decade now, we have focused on enlightening our people about the dangers of irregular migration. It worked to dissuade them at a time, but recently people don’t care anymore; they want to migrate to Europe no matter how.
“Ignorance has led many Nigerian youths to travel out of the country with tourist visas, intending to find employment; these individuals swiftly shift to irregular status as they wouldn’t return when due,” he said.
Mr. Osemene lauded the EU-MIGRASAFE initiative, which shifted the advocacy focus from the dangers of irregular migration to disseminating information about the processes and available options for regular migration.
However, he decried the duration and scope of the project, stating that it accommodated only a small number of stakeholders.
“Nigerian government officials, civil society organizations, community stakeholders, and individuals who embraced the program and requested training on it may not benefit if it comes to an end.”
Lamenting Nigeria’s predominance on issues of irregular migration compared to other African countries, despite governments’ migration governance policies, he advised that ongoing reforms should take into account the peculiarities of Nigeria’s contemporary socio-economic context.
“The problem with most of these policies is that they don’t fit in with the countries they are intended for. What is obtainable in Nigeria is different from what can be obtained in other parts of Africa.
“Europe must consider adjusting its migration policies to favour the continent and other parts of the world,” he added.
Osemene sees the possibility of a reduction in irregular migration in Africa, as the CSOs were able to come up with new strategies for “high-level” engagements and advocacy to address this issue.
