Immigration Crisis: Baba Iyabo Cries out, Begs World Leaders to Tackle Poverty, Unemployment

Immigration Crisis: Baba Iyabo Cries out, Begs World Leaders to Tackle Poverty, Unemployment

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has expressed concern over the unprecedented migration/refuges crisis in Europe as he called on world leaders, mostly  those in Africa, to eliminate  conflict and poverty with the aim to‎ end to the incidence of illegal migration to Europe.

‎Obasanjo, in a statement made available to journalists today in his town, also urged world leaders to as well create employment opportunities for young Africans.

‎He therefore recalled how the late Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, had called him in 2000 about the challenges Nigerian illegal immigrants in Libya were facing.

According to him, "The collaboration between his government and Gaddafi's led to the evacuation of 17, 000 Nigerians, 5,000 Ghanaians and 3,000 Sudanese."

Obasanjo, fondly called 'baba', further noted that the intervention led to the destruction of human trafficking syndicates in Lagos, Benin-city, Sokoto and other African cities.

"Sometime in September 2000, Libyan leader, Ghaddafi, called me and brought to my attention, the presence of thousands of Nigerian illegal immigrants in Libya attempting to make their way to Europe," the former president said.

There was tension between the illegal immigrants and local Libyan communities resulting in the immigrants often being subjected to violent attacks.

"This process resulted in the return of over 17,000 Nigerians back from Libya. Considerable numbers of illegal immigrants were also repatriated to other countries by air and by road. According to reports that I received, Ghana evacuated 5,000 of its citizens and Sudan 3,000," he further stated.

Obasanjo however lamented that Libya, after Ghadaffi, an action he blamed on foreign powers, is now a nest for human traffickers profiting from illegal venture of assisting illegal immigrants abroad.

"It is undeniable that the vacuum created by the lack of effective governance in Libya occasioned by the direct action of Western powers is responsible for the current anarchy in that country. The current inflow of African refugees into Europe from Libya is a direct consequence.

"The government of Libya which in 2000 acted humanely and responsibly to stem the outflow of illegal migrants to Europe has been replaced by unconscionable bandits and terrorists who have forcibly seized the instruments of state to facilitate human trafficking and illegal migration for their own material benefit,” he added.