Deportation
of Nigerians in UK
Recently,
media reports were awash with the story of the deportation of about 120
Nigerians by the United Kingdom (UK). The affected Nigerians were said to have
been deported by the British immigration authorities on March 19 for
non-possession of valid travel documents and work permits, among other required
documents.
Most
of the forced returnees who were young men and women narrated their harrowing
experiences in the UK
before they were hurriedly flown home. According to them, they were picked up
either at work or on the streets and dragged to the airport to board a cargo
flight to Lagos
without being allowed to take any of their vital belongings.
But
contrary to the initial reports, the UK authorities have clarified that
53 and not 120 Nigerians were deported and that the deportation followed due
process. The affected Nigerians were made to face some migration-related panels
and went through legal appeals, before their eventual deportation.
This
position has also been corroborated by the Nigerian High Commission in London which said that
the processes, up to deportation level, were monitored by its senior officials.
It also said that those Nigerians were removed from the UK due to the
fact that they overstayed their visas or have completed their prison terms.
Furthermore,
the deportation of Nigerians from the UK is covered by a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) on Migration Returns signed by both countries a few years
back.
Whatever
may be the case, the deportation is a warning to those Nigerians that travel out
without the required entry documents and work permits. The deportation will
serve as a clarion call to the Nigerian authorities to develop the country
industrially and halt the increasing exodus of her youths to other climes in
search of greener pastures. Nigeria
is richly endowed with enough human and material resources to develop all the
sectors of the economy and create jobs for its army of unemployed youths.
It
is a pity that in spite of the huge resources at our disposal, our leaders have
failed woefully to make the country a happy one for its citizens. In fact, the
government has a responsibility to open up the productive base of the economy
in order to stem the rising tide of youth joblessness which encourages
unnecessary migration and brain drain.
If
this is done, the craze to travel abroad among Nigerians will be drastically
reduced. It is most unfortunate that these youths leave Nigeria without
knowing the unpredictable future that awaits them elsewhere.
In
fact, experience has shown that some Nigerians outside would have fared better
in Nigeria
if they had remained in the country. The fact is that there is no country on
earth whose streets are paved with gold. In other words, there is no place
where people pick money on the streets.
We
enjoin Nigerians, especially the youths, to stop the mad rush to travel outside
to do menial jobs that ordinarily they would not do at home. The country has
enough resources to make it an industrial giant. All that is needed is
pragmatic leadership vision that will propel such economic transformation. This
is the time to turn the energy of our youths into high productivity. Let those
in charge of the economy put their thinking caps and put the Nigerian house in
order.
The
government should sit up and make the country attractive so that our youths
will not have the excuse to be leaving Nigeria en masse. Nigeria is our
only country; we should all work to make it better. Leaving our shores in
droves to other developed lands will not solve the problem.
SUN
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