ABSTRACT What informed this study is the changing trends and developments in international migration
and its challenges to the Nigeria Immigration service whose institutional role it is to manage
international migration as it concerns Nigeria. In its efforts over the years to control criminal
activities associated with international migration, the Nigeria Immigration Service is yet to
succeed. Nigeria is an important destination country for migrants in the West African subregion.
The latest available figures indicate that the number of immigrants residing in Nigeria
has more than doubled in recent decades, from 477,135 in 1991 to 971,450 in 2005 (NPC,
1991). The number of immigrants is expected to increase to 1.1 million in 2010 (UNPD,
2009). However, immigrants make up only 0.7 per cent of the total population. The majority
of immigrants in Nigeria are from neighboring Economic Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) countries (74%), in particular from Benin (29%), Ghana (22%) and Mali (16%)
(DRC, 2007). Resident permit data from ECOWAS indicate that the share of ECOWAS
residents has increased considerably over the last decade, from 63 per cent in 2001 to 97 per
cent in 2005 (ECOWAS, 2006). Refugees constitute a small proportion of the overall
immigrant stock (0.9% in 2007), the majority of whom are Liberians. The majority of
asylum- seekers are from the Great Lakes Region (65%) (NCFR, 2008). Relatively few
foreigners have been identified as being the victims of trafficking (2,537) in the past four
years (NAPTIP, 2009). Nigeria is also a destination country for highly skilled migration.
According to the latest data, immigrants figure prominently in categories such as general
managers (2.73%), corporate managers (0.89%), and physical, mathematical and engineering
science professionals (0.43%), and less so in clerical work such as customer service clerks
(0.21%) or manual work. Most of the immigrants working in the professional/technical and
related workers‘ group are from Europe (47.37%), while most of the immigrants working
Chijana, A. (2021). The Nigeria Immigration Service and the Challenges of Immigration (1986-2012). Afribary. Retrieved from https://track.afribary.com/works/the-nigeria-immigration-service-and-the-challenges-of-immigration-1986-2012
Chijana, Aaron "The Nigeria Immigration Service and the Challenges of Immigration (1986-2012)" Afribary. Afribary, 02 May. 2021, https://track.afribary.com/works/the-nigeria-immigration-service-and-the-challenges-of-immigration-1986-2012. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
Chijana, Aaron . "The Nigeria Immigration Service and the Challenges of Immigration (1986-2012)". Afribary, Afribary, 02 May. 2021. Web. 23 Nov. 2024. < https://track.afribary.com/works/the-nigeria-immigration-service-and-the-challenges-of-immigration-1986-2012 >.
Chijana, Aaron . "The Nigeria Immigration Service and the Challenges of Immigration (1986-2012)" Afribary (2021). Accessed November 23, 2024. https://track.afribary.com/works/the-nigeria-immigration-service-and-the-challenges-of-immigration-1986-2012