The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) in Cross River, says it has started regular patrol and monitoring of border areas to tackle illegal and irregular migrations.
The Deputy Comptroller, NIS command in Cross River, Ibiama Oshiokamel, made the disclosure at a public sensitisation programme in Calabar on Friday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sensitisation programme holding simultaneously nationwide, has the theme: “Say No to Migrant Smuggling: If you Must, Migrate Orderly, Safely and Regularly”
Oshiokamel said that the immigration service would deploy both kinetic and non kinetic approaches to address the challenges of illegal and irregular migration.
She also said that the service would continue to hold sensitisation programmes to create awareness on the inherent dangers of illegal migration.
“The dangers in illegal and irregular migration far outweigh what people see as the benefits. So there is need for everyone to rise up against this menace,” she said.
“We are not preaching against traveling, we are saying that those traveling should follow the rules by obtaining the right documents through the regular channels,” she said.
Also speaking, Bissong Bestman, a Deputy Superintendent of Immigration, said that the sensitisation programme was in the interest of the public.
Bestman said that people who got involved in illegal migration had most times fallen prey to financial scam, sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
The NIS official urged members of the public to follow laid down rules while planning to travel out of the country in their own interests.
