A fresh batch of 162 Nigerians, including
four pregnant women, have voluntarily
returned from Libya with the assistance of
the International Organisation for Migration
(IOM), the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN
reports.
The Coordinator, Lagos Zonal Office of the
National Emergency Management Agency
(NEMA), Alhaji Idris Muhammed, confirmed
the development to the News Agency of
Nigeria on Wednesday in Lagos.
Muhammed said the Nigerians arrived at
the Cargo Wing of the Murtala Muhammed
International Airport, Lagos, at 3.30a.m on
board a chartered Libyan Airlines aircraft.
He said the returnees comprised of 100
females, including four pregnant women
and 62 males.
The coordinator, while welcoming the
returnees, urged them to be agents of
positive change by joining the campaign
against irregular migration.
“Migration is protected by International and
national statutes for movement of people
through proper regularisation of papers that
will protect and save you against risks of
irregular migrations,†Muhammed said.
He disclosed that NEMA recently hosted a
team from European Union on monitoring
and evaluation of the special EU
intervention on assisted voluntary return of
migrants.
According to him, NEMA interfaced with
them on the ways of improving the present
EU Assisted Voluntary Returnees
programme being run by IOM.
He said gaps were identified, especially on
logistics.
Muhammed said that efforts were being
put in place to close such gaps to make
the process much smoother for the
stakeholders and the returnees.
He said the exercise, which began in April
2017, is expected to end by April, 2020.
According to him, no fewer than 8,808
returnees have so far been repatriated back
home to Nigeria from the volatile North
African country.
Source:
www.tori.ng/news/115385/four-
pregnant-women-spotted-among-the-batch-
as-162.html
