ECOWAS, Spain move against illegal migration
From Laolu Akande (New York) and Oghogho Obayuwana (Abuja)
GLOBAL statistics of asylum seekers released by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, (UNHCR) has shown that in 2008, more Nigerians applied for asylum last year in Europe and other developed nations.
The figures made public in Geneva earlier in the week, however placed Iraq on top of the asylum seekers list with 40,500 in industrialised nations, followed by Somalia (21,800), the Russian Federation (20,500), Afghanistan (18,500) and China (17,400).
Nigeria, with no fewer than 12,573 asylum seekers, was listed among countries of origin recording a significant rise in fresh applications alongside Afghanistan, whose asylum seekers rose by 85 per cent, Zimbabwe by 82 per cent, and Somalia by 77 per cent.
In the case of Nigeria, asylum seekers in 2008 rose by 71 per cent and Sri Lanka by 24 per cent. The UN report categorised these nations as having "experienced unrest or conflicts in 2008."
According to the report, Nigeria is among the top 10 nations, whose people seek asylum in several other countries. For instance, in Italy and Ireland, Nigeria was the number one country of origin of applicants.
In Italy last year alone, there were 5,333 new asylum seekers from Nigeria and 1,008 in Ireland.
Also, last year, 970 Nigerians sought asylum in the UK, 765 in Canada, 801 in Spain, 500 in Germany, 535 in Austria, 746 in Greece, 436 in Norway, 223 in Malta and 988 in Switzerland.
The country also made the top 10 in countries like Slovenia where seven Nigerians sought asylum, 19 in Poland, 27 in Republic of Korea, South Korea, eight in Portugal, 56 in Hungary, 18 in Bulgaria, 76 in Finland and 42 in Czech Republic. There were also five Nigerians who sought asylum in the extremely cold country of Iceland according to the report, which covered 51 industrialised countries that provided monthly data to UNHCR.
Meanwhile, at the sub-regional level, a tripartite arrangement involving the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigeria and Spain to halt illegal migration of the people of the economic bloc to Spain has taken off.
Spain, which is spearheading the new initiative, is committing about €10 million to the development of infrastructure in Nigeria and some ECOWAS countries to encourage their nationals to remain at home.
Visiting Spanish Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Angel Lossada Torres-Quevedo, told journalists in Abuja yesterday that his country had extended its assistance to ECOWAS member-states to ensure that no part of the sub-region can become a hub of both human trafficking and illegal migration.
He explained that his meetings with Vice President Goodluck Jonathan, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Ambassador Bagudu Hirse and ECOWAS Commission President Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas, centered on strengthening the existing co-operation between Spain, Nigeria and ECOWAS.
"We are now establishing instruments of regional cooperation with ECOWAS. Spain is the first bilateral donor to ECOWAS. The institutional support envisaged will be in the area of food security, climate change, water and education."
He said Spain is now Nigeria's second largest commercial partner after the United States, being a major consumer of Nigeria's gas.
Quevedo said: "Cooperation with Nigeria is very important now that the country is the current chair of ECOWAS. We are also preparing a high level meeting between Spain and ECOWAS countries. Nigeria is a key country to us not just in West Africa but in the entire continent..."
Close to 20,000 Nigerians are now in jails worldwide, a situation that has been remotely traced to irregular migration.
A breakdown of the figures shows that Libya has the highest number with 1,500 followed by the United Kingdom, 1,491, India (391), Nepal (15), Japan (14), Canada (13), Togo (150), and neighbouring Niger (40).
