The Chairman/CEO, of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa has warned Nigerians against seeking greener pastures in another country without proper documentation.
Dabiri-Erewa said this in a statement signed by Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the spokesperson of the agency on Thursday, November 23, 2023.
The NiDCOM boss urged Nigerians to migrate legitimately to avoid unpleasant consequences.
During her visit to some Nigerians living in Canada as asylum seekers in Brampton on Thursday, Dabiri-Erewa sympathised with their poor condition and advised other Nigerians planning to migrate not to leave their country without proper documentation.
In the statement, she urged those planning to leave Nigeria to seek asylum in Canada to desist, saying the situation is getting tougher in many countries.
“It is just not worth it, more often than not,” she added.
Narrating the ordeal of Nigerian asylum seekers in Canada, NiDCOM in its statement said, “Pastor Vivian Eruka, who runs the Bethel food bank and works with those in Shelters, informed that the Mayor of Brampton promised to make 800 more beds available and shelter.
“Mr Wale Rabiu, owner of Matlock bakery donated hundreds of loaves of Agege bread to the shelter inmates, while Mr Bayo Adedosu, a Nigerian living in Canada, and an immigration consultant also gave some words of counselling, adding that they should not talk ill about their home country, Nigeria, to avoid future repercussions.”
The agency maintained that migration is a human rights issue but must be done legitimately and not irregularly.