By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
United Nations International Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF) and the government of Catalonia, Spain, have signed an agreement to protect Nigerians and other African migrants in Diaspora.
The agreement signed recently in Barcelona, Spain, aims to eliminate discrimination suffered by young Nigerians and other African migrants.
It would also promote cordial relationship and well being within the border of diasporic migration.
Minister of Youth, State of African Diaspora SOAD), Olasubomi Iginla-Aina, in a statement, said the agreement would enable black migrants access care, stabilize their mental health and general wellbeing.
She stated that they would be well protected on arrival, as Civil Societies would assist you to get the necessary help that required.
“I understand that most of you, when you arrive overseas are basically stressed and equally traumatized, some of you even falls sick due to the dangerous route and troubled you may have encountered.
Iginla-Aina who witnessed the ceremony said the President of UNICEF Catalonia, Jaume Lanaspa Gatnau, signed on behalf of UNICEF alongside other UNICEF.
She gave some useful advice to the young migrant, expressing her keen to assist them. Admonishing them, to inform their friends and relatives who intend to embarked on dangerous route just like them, who have left the shores of Africa, seeking greener pastures.
“AIthough there is NGOs who can assist you migrate legally when you want to seek asylum I will push this organizations to you. Tell your friends and relatives not to kill themselves by taking risks to get to Europe. What is on the road is too dangerous for one to ply.
“We are aware that war has actually chased some of you out of Africa but you have to follow the legal process on migration before you can get in. Once things are down rightly, the traumatic experience would not be part of it.
Meanwhile, Iginla-Aina said that the Director General of Childhood and Adolescence of the Catalan Government, Ms. Ester Cabanes, informed her that there were still over 657 centres where young black Africans reside.
She added there is an organization protecting African migrant, who fled their countries that need security in
urged African migrant, seeking asylum have legal documentation and proper arrangements made before leaving African soil and thus avoid taking risky measures on their journey to Europe that could inflict injury or cause death.
The Soad Minister of Youth Development encouraged the migrants. She also provided important contacts, which she wanted them to share with their friends back in Africa, to deter them from migrating illegally from their various countries.
The Minster of Social Rights, Catalonia, Violant Cerverai Godia; Minister of Health, Catalonia, Joseph Maria Argimon and Managing Director of the Catalan Health Institute, Yolanda Lejardi Estevez, all signed on behalf of the government of Catalonia.
She explained that UNICEF signed the agreement in order to protect the young immigrants from Africa.
She said young Nigerians and youths from other African countries flea the continent because of war and the quest for greener pastures, but most end up dying because of the dangerous route they take to get to Europe or other first world countries.
“If you recalled, recently, the tragedy that struck in Melilla in June, recorded a great loss, several young persons were killed and injured.
“Some of the victims are still receiving medical assistant. We want to prevent the occurrence of sudden death. When young immigrants left the shores of Africa they had hope and never envisaged what they encountered.”