By Zubairu Idris
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has embarked on sensitisation campaign to create awareness on the dangers of irregular migration among youths in Katsina State.
The exercise is designed to enlighten youth and women on the risk of irregular migration and encourage them to be wary of migrant smugglers.
Mr Alkasim Inusa, the Comptroller Migration Directorate, NIS headquarters, stated this at the inauguration of the exercise on Thursday in Katsina.
He said the world recorded increase in transborder crimes, a trend which prompted countries to adopt proactive border security measures,.
According to Inusa, smuggling of migrants and trafficking in persons is the third most profitable organised transnational crime to arms and drugs trafficking globally, adding that every living organism, including human beings migrate from one place to another, for one reason or the other.
He, however, said that the migration should be done in accordance with the laid down rules and regulations, to avoid inherent consequences.
“Any time you are going out of your country, make sure that you depart from an approved route, otherwise, you are an irregular migrant.
“Say no to migrants smuggling, it is dangerous, do not fall prey,” he said.
He listed some of the adverse consequences of irregular migration to include kidnapping, organ harvest/theft, deportation, sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation.
“If one must migrate, should do so safely, orderly and in a regular manner”.
Earlier, Shamsudeen Ahmed, the Registrar, Katsina State Institute of Technology and Management, lauded the exercise, describing it as “timely”.
He urged the youths not to allow themselves to be hoodwinked by migrant smugglers.