OVER 8,000 NIGERIAN MIGRANTS RETURN HOME WITH UN ASSISTANCE IN ONE YEAR
The newsletter said, Nigeria was for two years in a row the main nationality of those who arrived in Italy by sea with 36, 352 arrivals in 2016 and 18,158 in 2017, adding that in the following months, the returnees will receive in-kind reintegration assistance as well as business management skills training. The training aims to provide a platform where returnees
‘To date, over 726 returnees have been trained by IOM in coordination with various governmental and CSO partners, including, among others, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), Ministry of Labour and Employment, Patriotic Citizen Initiative (PCI), and Lift Above Poverty Organization (LAPO)’.
“The business skills training empowered me. I learnt how to manage my business and attend to my customers. Since IOM facilitated my reintegration in February 2018, I have made profits in selling my groceries and soft drinks to my customers. With patience and determination, one can make it in Nigeria without risking their lives in search for greener pastures in Europe,” says Debo-rah Ehis a returnee she added
The IOM Chief of Mission in Nigeria,“ Enira Krdzalic, With over 8,000 returnees back home and more to come, issues such as unemployment especially in high areas of return pose a challenge to all of us. However, not all is lost. IOM is committed to providing support to the Federal Government of Nigeria in ensuring that Nigerian returnees under the programme are fully reintegrated”
While the initial target under the EUTF-IOM Joint Initiative was to provide reintegration assistance for 3,800 returnees, IOM is now working with more partners on providing reintegration support to a target of 8,500 returnees.
