Irregular migration exposes youths to abuse, death — Ondo immigration officer
By Boye Oyeyemi –
Special Assistant to the Comptroller of Immigration Service, Ondo State Command, Alebiosu Goodwill Taiwo, has warned Nigerian youths against irregular migration.
He disclosed that the practice is dangerous and often exposes travelers to abuse, exploitation, and even death.
Alebiosu, a former spokesman of the command, spoke virtually on the social platform Yemiefash Family on the topic: “Ills of Irregular Migration Among Youths.”
He noted that in the past two decades, many Nigerians have attempted to reach Europe, America, and Canada through illegal routes, including the Sahara Desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
Quoting the International Organization for Migration (IOM), he said irregular migration is “movement that takes place outside the regulatory norms of a country.” He added that most Nigerians use the Niger–Libya route to reach Europe.
He identified unemployed youths, fresh graduates, and corps members as the most prone to irregular migration. Poverty, insecurity, and a poor economy, he said, push them out, while the promise of better wages and living conditions abroad pulls them in.
Alebiosu listed the dangers to include slavery, rape, kidnapping, detention, forced prostitution, piracy, and organ harvesting.
He urged youths to embrace legal options such as student visas and work permits and called on the government to address the root causes of irregular migration.
