By Aderogba George
The Asylum and Refugee Rights Advocacy (ARRA) Foundation, an NGO, has called on relevant authorities to treat migrants, refugees, displaced persons and asylum seekers humanely.
Dr Okey Ezugwu, Executive Director of the foundation, made the call at the organisation’s maiden news conference on Sunday in Abuja.
He said that the foundation had observed a massive migration of Nigerians and other Africans to developed countries of the world.
Ezugwu said that what the migrants and asylum seekers passed through in the countries of their emigration was sometimes inhumane.
He said that with such treatment, it had become necessary to draw the attention of stakeholders and Nigerian government to their plight.
“As a non-profit, non-religious, and non-political organisation registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission, we are dedicated to championing the rights and well-being of migrants, refugees and individuals who have left their homeland for a new country, navigating the complexities of differing legal environments.
“We are advocating for humane treatment of migrants, refugees, displaced persons by relevant authorities.
“We want to attract government attention to the plight of Nigerian and other migrants through comprehensive reports.
“We want the government to highlight and address the challenges faced by Nigerians in detention facilities abroad.
“We also want government to make the move of providing legal advice, representation and counselling to Nigerians and migrants at little or no cost,’’ he said.
Ezugwu, who is the founder of ARRA, suggested that tertiary institutions should put up courses surrounding migration management and control.
He added that such idea would help to educate people more before they decided to travel.
The executive director said that looking at asylum and refugees situation globally, the foundation would collaborate with key organisations like Nigeria Immigration Service, National Commission for Refugees, International Organization for Migration (IOM) and others.
He also called on governments of various countries in Africa to brace up in addressing the continent’s economic problems.
According to him, the mass exodus of citizens from Africa, the middle east and other least developed economic is a symptom of a deeper problem, poor leadership and governance.
He said that if most governments of the world provided the right leadership , the challenges faced by asylum seekers and refugees would be minimised.
Ezugwu also called on government to address the root causes of conflicts and instability as well as promoting inclusive and sustainable development in countries of origin. (NAN)