NIGERIA, FRANCE TO TACKLE ILLEGAL MIGRATION, HUMAN TRAFFICKING
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France has stated that it is dedicated to fortifying its current ties with Nigeria, particularly in the areas of combating human trafficking and illegal migration.
France’s Ambassador of Migration at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr. Christophe Leonzi, made this known when he paid a courtesy visit to the Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Monday in Abuja.
“We will like to establish more regular dialogue between Nigeria and France and the two ministries, especially in area of illegal migration and how to tackle it headlong.
“Another area that calls for worry is in the area of human trafficking.
“It will be of immense benefit to both countries if we can cooperate more efficiently in different aspects to stem the tide,” the envoy added.
He said that though the two countries have been cooperating in that area, there was need to delve more into the already existing cooperation.
“Nigeria is a strong partner in this regard, no doubt,” Leonzi said, adding that the cooperation should be reinforced in the area of border security and management.
“If the borders are not porous and the necessary cutting-edge technology, aside from human presence, are in place, no doubt it will go a long way to tackle the ugly trend to a reasonable level.
“A good border management brings about certain level of security of a country, but a porous border usually brings about vulnerability of a country, especially in terms of security of that country,“ the envoy added.
In his remarks, Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria would continue to strengthen its relations with France, to make it better and stronger.
“The stronger the relationship, the better it is for both countries,” the minister said.
He said that development cooperation between the two countries has been extremely helpful to Nigeria.
“In terms of meeting our goals, targets and, of course, taking us from where we were to where we are now, I believe that more of this programme will take us to where we actually want to be.
“Regular meetings and visits of this nature are very important for both countries, because when you do not share problems, when you do not talk to share problems, solutions will always be a mirage.
“For instance, long before now, Nigerians going to Italy were a big problem, but today, I know building on our interactions, is a different ball game altogether, and it will be difficult for any irregular immigrant from Nigeria to stay in Italy.
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