10,000 Illegal Immigrants (Nigerians) Die Crossing Mediterranean Sea, Desert

At least 10,000 Nigerians have died between
January and May 2017 while trying to illegally
migrate through the Mediterranean Sea and the
deserts, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has
said.


Saturday Punch quoted NIS Assistant
Comptroller-General, in charge of training,
manpower and development, Mr. Maroof Giwa, as
saying this while speaking in Ilorin, on the
sidelines of a training on ‘trafficking in persons/
smuggling of migrants at Vario's borders’.


He said 4,900 Nigerians died in the Mediterranean
Sea while the rest died while going through the
deserts in their bid to cross to Europe.


Also speaking, the Kwara State Comptroller, NIS,
Mrs. Abiodun Abimbola-Ojo, said the command
rescued no fewer than 36 victims of trafficking
from 2015 till date.


She also urged people to provide NIS with useful
information that would aid the agency to
effectively combat trafficking.


Giwa said Nigeria is a member of many
international instruments and had signed a
number of agreements and treaties, particularly
regarding trafficking in persons and smuggling of
illegal migrants.


He noted that there is therefore the obligation for
the country to implement such agreements,
adding that illegal migrants and traffickers (from
Nigeria) go through Niger Republic, Mali, Libya
and Morocco.


“Smuggling of migrants is taking a front
burner in world affairs today. Almost every
day, you hear stories of boat capsizing and
people trying to reach Europe.


Nigerians are dying almost every day.”
“This year alone, 4,900 Nigerians died on the
Mediterranean route to Europe.


There are
countless others who died on their way
through the deserts; we have even lost
count. Many more perished on that route.”


“In fact over 10,000 people have died on the
Mediterranean route and the deserts. Those
who died in the deserts are far more than the
dead victims along the Mediterranean route.”