To promote safe and regular migration, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has introduced a youth empowerment and prevention mechanism aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s fight against Smuggling of Migrants (SOM) through an infomercial documentary.
The initiative concentrates on a youth-driven, evidence-based response to disseminate enlightenment messages within communities about the risks of migrant smuggling, the red flags to watch for, and how it contributes to Trafficking in Persons (TIP).
UNODC Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (TIPSOM) Project officer Aishat Braimoh stated that the project, a documentary titled ‘Promoting Youth Empowerment and Prevention Mechanisms Through the Screening of Infomercial on Migrant Smuggling’, aims to engage young Nigerians through real stories, data, and visual storytelling to raise awareness of the risks involved while promoting safe and legal migration routes.
She said, “With every sensitisation that we do at the UNODC, we make sure that we speak to the young people who are the most vulnerable group.
“The purpose is to be able to track the findings of UNODC observatory report on smuggling of migrants, and one of the key findings is that young people are disproportionately vulnerable to the exploitation of both smugglers and traffickers,” she said.
Speaking on the need for safe and regular migration to save the lives of many from falling victim to human smugglers, Executive Director, Women Trafficking and Child Labour Eradication Foundation (WOTCLEF), Imaobong Ladipo-Sanusin, pointed out that promoting youth empowerment mechanisms in this regard remains a key factor in driving efforts to end the ill of SOM.
She said, “Nigerians and the youth especially, must understand that if you must travel abroad, explore and ensure you travel safely by having the proper documentation and proper pathways, so if you want to migrate, you want to Japa, you have the right to do so, but it must be safe, it must be orderly and it must be regular.
“Smuggling of migrants is a twin to human trafficking, and this project is to enable the youth to drive the message far and wide because smuggling of migrants is about benefits to the migrants and crime to the state.”
She added that the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8 talks about human trafficking, decent work and economic opportunities.
Noting that 60 per cent of victims of SOM in Nigeria are youths under the age of 30, Chief Executive of i-LEAD Africa, Yusuf Abiodun, lamented that the lack of awareness among many has led thousands of young Nigerians to take irregular paths to migrate out of Nigeria in search of a better life.
He said the youth must be deliberate and focused on creating the much-needed change and the creation of awareness on how to take the safe paths to migration.
Insisting on the importance of raising change makers through the development of leadership and public speaking skills for effective community engagement, he said that awareness of the issues, consistency in drive, effective engagement with community leaders, and collaboration are essential to reaching the public with enlightening messages.
On its part, the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) urged the youth and all intending to migrate to ensure that they visit the service to obtain genuine passports and also visit offices of the destination countries for proper documentation.
Chief Superintendent of Immigration, Kazeem Otitoloju, stated that trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants has evolved over the years. Recent events indicate that the focus is now on the youth; therefore, the aim is to educate young people about the dangers involved and the right path to follow.
He said, “Use safe, regular paths to migrate.”
