A scene in “In the Missing Steps” a TV series that alerts Nigerian youth to the pitfalls of irregular migration, including falling prey to smugglers and traffickers. The series follows Joshua, a young Nigerian university student, who migrates to Switzerland through irregular channels but could not obtain legal papers to stay in the country. The series of 13 episodes was aired on NTA, Nigeria’s largest TV network, in 2017 and it starred a cast of actors from Nollywood / Photo: IOM

Nigeria advises citizens against travelling abroad without legal papers

The Nigerian government has warned its nationals against travelling abroad without proper documentation to avoid the unpleasant consequences of irregular migration.

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stated this when she visited some Nigerians in one of the shelters in Brampton, Canada.

A statement released via the commission’s handle on X Thursday, warned Nigerians who have the intention to travel to Canada either without proper documentation or to seek asylum to desist as the “situation is getting tougher in many countries.”

The Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa (middle) and helpers of the Nigerians in the refugee shelter in Canada/Photo: NiDCOM

It said: “The NIDCOM Boss sympathised with their condition and urged others planning to travel without proper documentation, arrive the country to seek asylum, to desist, as the situation is getting tougher in many countries, adding that “it is just not worth it, more often than not”.

“Pastor Vivian Eruka, who runs the Bethel food bank and works with those in Shelters, informed that the Mayor of Brampton promised to make 800 more beds available and shelter.

“Mr Wale Rabiu, owner of Matlock bakery donated hundreds loaves of Agege bread to the shelter inmates, while Mr Bayo Adedosu, a Nigerian living in Canada, and an immigration consultant also gave some words of counseling, adding that they should not talk ill about their home country, Nigeria, to avoid future repercussions.

“Adedosu equally urged them to be patient and law abiding. Migration is a human right issue but must be done legitimately and not irregularly.”

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