West Africa amongst largest contributors to irregular migration — ILO

More facts have emerged from the International Labour Organisation that West Africa is listed among the largest contributors of irregular migration into Europe and other western parts of the world.

The ILO Country Director to Nigeria, Dennis Zulu said: “West Africa is one of the largest contributors to irregular migration into Europe and many countries in the west.

“I think there is need for government to ensure that irregular immigration is stopped.

“We are losing a lot of young lives across the Mediterranean Sea that is out to seek greener pasture, which in most cases are not there.

“So, I think we can deal with this problem to ensure that we improve the well-being of young Nigerians, Ghanaians, whoever that is crossing the Mediterranean.

“We need to provide them with the requisite skills, job opportunities to start and operate their own businesses, so that they can have good life of some sort back home so that the urge to go abroad to seek greener pasture is curtailed.”

The country director noted that there were measures that could be taken by governments to stop desperate movement of youths to Europe and elsewhere.

He said young people who migrated to Europe and other places, saw their moves as the only option available to them.

Zulu commended efforts being made by some governments to better understand the drivers of irregular migrations.

He said: “If we can understand what the real drivers are, perhaps we can then put in interventions.

“We can then ensure that young people stay at home rather than subject themselves to cross the Mediterranean seeking greener pastures in Europe.”

According to statistics from the International Organisation for Migration, over 2200 have been declared dead or missing.

In 2016, more than 503,700 migrants entered the EU borders illegally, of whom some 364,000 crossed the Mediterranean Sea, according to figures published by the European agency, Frontex. The year of 2016 has become the deadliest on record with 5,096 deaths at sea recorded.