Sunday Ani
A group of concerned Nigerians under the auspices of the Migrant Project have taken the campaign against irregular migration to the doorsteps of Lagos and Edo residents in particular, and Nigerians in general.
The Coordinator of the Migrant Project, Mrs. Clare Henshaw, said the group became worried following reports in both local and international media about the number of Nigerian youths who die in the desert and the Mediterranean Sea, trying to cross over to Europe.
She said members of the group were deeply worried by the situation that they felt something must be done urgently to arrest the ugly trend.
She said: “As an Edo person, I feel touched and disturbed that majority of Nigerians, especially women, who are involved in this mad rush to Europe, are from my state. We have heard and read sordid stories of how those who made it to the supposed ‘land of honey’ get involved in prostitution. And how many of those who could not make it to Europe perished in the desert and in the Mediterranean Sea. I felt the trend is on the rise because victims lack adequate information on what awaits them before embarking on such risky ventures. “So, I felt that aggressive enlightenment campaign to get people properly informed about the issue of irregular migration is urgently needed. I also chose to start with Edo and Lagos states because those are the two states with the highest number of people involved in the game.”
