FG warns against illegal migration

The federal government on Monday warned Nigerians, especially the young, against illegal migration to Europe and other parts of the world, popularly known colloquially as “Japa,” saying the consequences, including ill-treatment abroad, would be very disastrous goods.

While the government stressed that it does not encourage illegal migration, the government recommended that Nigerians who wish to move should do so within the limits of the law.

This was stated by the Director of Economic Trade and Investment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Akinremi Bolaji, in Abuja during the launch of EuroAfrica Polish Language Centre.

According to him, the attitude of many young people who migrate abroad without basic skills was responsible for the poor treatment they receive.

He said: “The government does not encourage irregular migration. But we do understand that it is part of basic human rights to move. That is why the government emphasizes that those who want to move must do so within the limits of the law.

“Countries want what you have, but they just want you to come legally or with papers. And that’s why you need registered services like EuroAfrica, who are known by the government and regulatory bodies to help you.

“Such organizations can organize the right travel route for you. But if you say ‘Japa’, if you go to another’s country without entering the place properly, you will be treated badly and the law will find it very difficult to support you. That is why we state loud and clear that no one is trying to hinder anyone’s freedom of travel, but you must have something, such as a basic knowledge.”

Bolaji said most reports of mistreatment of Nigerians were not well documented because the victims mostly traveled illegally

“Now, all the abuse reports we receive are because most of our people have not migrated properly. If you are documented with the Ministry of Labor and Employment, when you are traveling and you are documented by the National Agency for the Prohibition of Human Trafficking and Other Related Matters and we know the employer who is the agent you are bringing, as your host mistreats you, we can track down such a host. But when you travel illegally, it becomes a challenge,” he said.

Speaking about the importance of the EuroAfrica Polish Language Centre, Bolaji stressed the need for language exchange to grow economic activities between countries.

He said: “People-to-people connection is the pinnacle of connection countries crave and Europe needs Africa today, but language has always been a barrier.

“With this center here I also believe that somewhere in Poland they will learn to speak Yoruba or Hausa because we are one people and we need each other. They come to Lagos to do business. It will be easier for them if they learn to speak Yoruba, so this is just a stepping stone.

“When you go to Poland, it’s a white environment, a white culture, and their language is what they speak. So once you walk in without being able to say anything, they’ll know you’re a stranger. And if your paper is incorrect, you run the risk. And so this is very good that it’s trying to bring up the service.

“So instead of encouraging ‘Japa’, this initiative will encourage real regular migration and labor migration and encourage record keeping and the government could know how many citizens have left, where they are, what industry they are in. serve and who their employer is.

The founder of the center, Olakunle Alayande, said the aim of the center was to pass on the language and culture of Poland to the youth of Nigeria.

He said: “I have lived in Poland for two decades and have been involved in education for a while. My file shows that I brought more than 400 students to Poland as individual students and exchange students and that they all graduated.

“After doing that, I found that many Nigerians are not integrated into the Polish system in terms of having language skills and not being able to find their pace in the territory of Poland, in terms of finding a suitable job that they would in terms of having the knowledge of Polish.

“The only option they have is to simply find work through multinationals. But by the time you start to learn the language or can speak the language, even if it is the basic knowledge of Polish, you will get ample opportunities to work with the Polish company or multinational companies.

“So after myself, my wife and my team saw the benefits it would be for the privilege of Nigerian students, we decided to bring this opportunity to Nigeria.”

The center’s co-founder, Aleksandra Alayande, said the benefits of learning Polish or more than one language can make one’s resume stand out when competitions are on.

“In addition to the position, relevant experienced companies often look for candidates who can offer greater cultural diversity,” she said.

She said that learning Polish is “absolutely necessary if one intends to run a business in Poland”.

“Polish economy is one of the strongest in the region, so the language is in high demand,” she said.