By Chioma Obinna

A non-government organisation working in the area of campaigns against desert migration to Europe, Patriotic Citizen Initiatives, PCI, has advised the Federal Government to check the rising trend of desert migration by young Nigerians, even as it urged them to urgently commence the re-orientaion and rehabilitation of the 1,750 returnees from Libya.

The President of the Foundation, Comrade Osita Osemene who spoke at a press conference to mark PCI’s one year anniversary in Lagos, expressed worry that if nothing urgent is done by the Federal Government to check the trend, it could lead to sharp rise in incidences of crime, including terrorism.

He further hinted that in less than three weeks, the UK government would be bringing back at least 16,000 illegal Nigerian immigrants back to the country. According to him, if this happens, it would definitely increase the number of returnees into the country.

Osemene who narrated his personal experience in the hands of desert migration cartels few years ago explained that over 2,000 Nigerian youths embark on the perilous journey every month and their situation enroute is usually heart breaking.

His words: “I witnessed how our young girls were sold into prostitution for $3000 and can only regain their freedom after working out over $9000. This illegal migration fuels another form of human slavery”.

Tracing the factors fuelling the problem, he said youth unemployment should urgently be tackled by government at all levels as many youths usually embark on the journey in search of greener pastures.

He further alerted that new sets of traffickers are currently using the unrest in Libya to recruit more Nigerians to Europe enroute Libya. Worried that these Nigerians are being recruited to perish in the Mediterranean Sea, he lamented that about three weeks ago, 20 Nigerians died when a boat capsized in the sea.

“There is nothing bad if people are travelling legally for business. It is important to let our people know that there are no job opportunities in those countries because most of these traffickers come in the name of foreign jobs.

There is no job waiting for you any where. Not less than 50,000 Nigerians are stranded in the various deserts. At every connection house that we were taken to, you will find not less than 1,000 Nigerians,” he lamented.