Politics
THE Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has called on all levels of government and other stakeholders to collaborate to end Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) and Trafficking In Persons (TIP).
The Comptroller General, NIS, Mr Muhammad Babandede, made the call at the validation workshop on standard operating procedures on combating smuggling of Migrants in Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said that government everywhere around the globe should work together to eliminate smuggling of migrants and human trafficking as it was against the law of nature and humanity.
“Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) is a concept misconstrued for Trafficking In Persons. (TIP).
”SOM is a Transnational Organised Crime (TOC) that undermines the safety of the Migrants for material or financial benefit for the smuggler and also the territorial integrity of the state.
“These are issues that the general populace have to understand to avoid the pitfalls associated with the transborder criminality of SOM.
“Trafficking In Persons is a menace that has defied several measures. Combating the scourge of SOM and TIP requires collective efforts nationally and internationally.
”It is a war that must be confronted by all at national, regional and continental levels by government of nations working together, not in isolation, to make the business unattractive for the human smugglers and traffickers, ” he said.
Babandede said that the steps taken by the Federal Government to effect partial closure of the border was a stride towards frustrating the activities of transborder criminal gangs.
“It has yielded positively reducing the cross border human Smuggling and Trafficking in Persons with several arrests made by NIS Operatives at the land, sea and air borderlines.
”This success has restored the honour and dignity of our youths and citizens,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Rafael Molina, Team leader, Action Against Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (A-TIPSOM) said smuggling and human trafficking was a global problem.
Molina said that the group had collaborated with national agencies, NAPTIP, NPF and NIS as well as representative of civil society, NACTAL in the areas of prevention, migration policy and protection of victims.
He commended NIS on its effort in fighting the menace, urging that more effort should be put to ensure the country and world at large was free of SOM and TIP.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that A-TIPSOM was a project funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by the Spanish Public Foundation with the aim of supporting the government of Nigeria in reducing the TIP and SOM. (NAN)
– Dec. 11, 2019 @ 16:47 GMT |
Tags: NIS tasks stakeholders to curb smuggling of migrants trafficking
