By Omeiza Ajayi

ABUJA: The Federal Government said it has moved more than 17 billion migration records into an integrated system as part of efforts to automate its migration processes.

This was as it said it has closed negotiations with the European Union on a readmission agreement that took about a decade to conclude.

Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Tuesday at a meeting with the EU Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration, Mr Magnus Brunner, and his delegation. The meeting was held ahead of the formal signing of the agreement, according to a statement by the Ministry’s Head of Press and Public Relations, Mrs Mary Ali.

Tunji-Ojo said the automation and the integration of identity databases would help the authorities verify the nationality of people being returned to Nigeria more quickly and accurately.

He identified three categories of people who may be subject to readmission: those holding valid Nigerian travel documents, those who travelled with documents but later lost or destroyed them, and those who travelled without any identification. He said the government was developing systems to establish the identities of such persons through available national records.

The minister added that similar arrangements were already being implemented with the United Kingdom, while discussions were ongoing with the United States to replicate the system.

He described the agreement as significant, both for facilitating the return of Nigerians with no legal grounds to remain in EU member states and for promoting a more orderly, dignified and mutually beneficial migration management system.

Tunji-Ojo assured the EU delegation that Nigeria would honour every provision of the agreement. He stressed that the government’s position on irregular migration was clear, saying Nigeria does not encourage illegal migration or any abuse of the trust established between countries.

According to him, building mutual trust should come before discussions on easing migration procedures, since greater confidence between Nigeria and its international partners would create better conditions for legal migration and cooperation.

On border security, the minister called for stronger international collaboration and real-time information sharing, particularly against human trafficking, migrant smuggling and other cross-border crimes. He said individual countries acting alone could not effectively tackle these challenges.

He also told the delegation that the government had recorded progress in correctional service reforms, with the number of repeat offenders falling from about 13,000 in 2023 to about 1,600 in the previous year.

Brunner described the finalisation of the agreement as a significant development in Nigeria-EU relations, saying it could provide a foundation for cooperation in other areas. He commended Nigeria’s efforts to modernise its border security architecture and said the EU was ready to deepen collaboration through its border management agency.

The commissioner named police cooperation, the fight against human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and the creation of legal migration pathways as areas needing sustained engagement. He disclosed that about 260,000 Nigerians were legally resident in the EU, and stressed the importance of expanding opportunities for safe and regular migration.

Also speaking, a member of the EU delegation, Jonannes Lucher, acknowledged that the negotiations had not been easy, explaining that Nigeria had sought to include other areas of cooperation in the agreement, among them anti-trafficking, anti-drug trafficking and legal migration pathways.

Lucher assured the Nigerian side that discussions on those areas would begin once the readmission agreement was concluded. He also disclosed that the EU had made almost €100 million available in additional funding to support broader cooperation, with talks scheduled to begin with Nigerian migration and security officials.

The meeting ended with both sides committing to strengthen cooperation, build mutual trust and develop practical solutions to shared migration and security challenges.

FG integrates 17bn migration records, close readmission talks with EU

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