UK deports 61 Nigerians, UN
to help fight human trafficking
 |
| British Prime Minister |
SIXTY-ONE
Nigerians, comprising three children, 47 males and 11 females were yesterday
deported from the United Kingdom (UK) and handed over to the Nigerian
Immigration officials at the Murtala Muhammed International
Airport, Lagos.
The
development came as the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)
expressed commitment to new ways of fighting the menace of human trafficking in
Nigeria.
The
immigration officer, who received the deportees in the early hour of yesterday,
said they were rounded up in various
parts of UK
for immigration related offences.
When
asked what those immigration offences could be, he said some of them were
staying illegally in the UK.
He added that the UK
government has tasked its border agency with carrying out an intense period of
enforcement activity over the summer as they are determined to create a hostile
environment, which makes it harder than ever for illegal immigrants to come to
the UK
and put down roots.
The
officer said anywhere in the world, illegal immigrants put untold pressure on
public services at a time when countries cannot afford to support people not
entitled to it.
“That’s
why the UK Border Agency is working day in, day out to cut out the routes such
as sham marriages, bogus colleges and organised traffickers being used by
foreign nationals to try and stay in the UK permanently, the Nigerian
Immigration officer said.
Some
of the new ways the UNODC intends to support the National Agency for the
Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), according to its Country
Representative, Oliver Stolpe, will include to increase cooperation between
European countries and Nigeria, particularly in law-enforcement aspects such as
detection, investigations, prosecution of traffickers as well as seizures of
proceeds of traffickers and in victim support services.
Stolpe,
in a recent speech at a town-hall meeting held in Lagos to sensitise the public against the
menace of human trafficking, said that strengthening victims’ return,
rehabilitation, reintegration and monitoring the results and impact will help
avoid re-victimisation. “This would especially entail building victim support
facilities, be it micro-credit, education, and skill acquisition opportunities
as well as the Victim Support Funds, both internationally and in Nigeria,”
Stolpe said.
A
statement from UNODC on the town hall meeting, which had 300 participants in
attendance, indicated that the UN organisation also intends to strengthen the
engagement of religious and traditional leaders, as well as private partnership
engagement and involvement in the matter, especially in awareness raising
campaigns and victim rehabilitation and reintegration activities.
A
statement issued at the end of the meeting recommended among other things that
the ban on street hawking or trading be enforced. Also, the meeting sought the
enforcement of an existing law that only adults of 18 years and above should be
engaged as maids or domestic workers. This law is expected to be well
disseminated.
GUARDIAN
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