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20,197 Nigerians, once stuck in foreign lands, have made their way back home of their own accord, a homecoming that’s turning heads. The numbers come from a patchwork of repatriation efforts pieced together by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
These victims retured back into Nigeria through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration lifeline, a mission powered by the Federal Government and a network of Nigerian embassies flexing their diplomatic muscle overseas.
The breakdown’s a shocking data—women and girls make up nearly 88 percent of those who’ve returned, while guys clock in at just 13 percent, flipping the usual script.
Most of these vulnerable travelers—tagged as Victims of Trafficking—land between 18 and 39 years old, with the 18-to-25 crowd standing out as prime targets for slick recruiters looking to cash in.
One of the reports read, “The stranded Nigerian migrants returned home from transit and destination countries along the Mediterranean irregular migratory route.
“From April 2017 to May 2018, over 7,000 of those returned from Libyan detention centres and urban areas while 750 were from neighbouring countries, mainly Niger and Mali.”
The agency also revealed that “19,452 Nigerians have been assisted to voluntarily return home between April 2017 and February 2022.”
Within the first quarter of 2024 alone, the IOM said it facilitated the return of 167 victims to Nigeria, 81 per cent of whom were female. However, this trend is not new.
Read also: Libyan Authorities Discover Mass Grave Filled With Migrants
In 2022, the tally of confirmed female trafficking victims peaked at 908—the highest on record—while the number of male victims remained markedly lower, reaching a maximum of 166 during the same period, underscoring a pronounced gender disparity.
Throughout the timeframe examined, economic turbulence emerged as the overriding catalyst for irregular migration, with an overwhelming 94 percent of victims of trafficking (VoTs) identifying the pursuit of improved financial prospects as their primary impetus, according to the analysis.
A mere two percent were motivated by targeted employment prospects, one percent aimed to flee challenging domestic circumstances, and three percent cited a range of factors, including educational aspirations, family reunification, or evasion of conflict.
Among the preferred destinations for these VoTs, Italy, Libya, and Mali stood out as the leading draws, exerting a powerful pull on those embarking on perilous journeys.
Collectively, these three nations accounted for nearly 60 percent of all returnees, with Italy maintaining its standout role, hosting 26 percent of those who made their way back—a persistent focal point in the trafficking conundrum.
