The British Government has donated N56 million Returnees Reception Centre, constructed at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos, to the Nigerian Immigration Service.
The centre was jointly inaugurated by the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Paul Arkwright and the Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau in Lagos on Wednesday.
Dambazua said the centre was part of efforts to enhance service delivery and in line with global best practice in modern migration management.
He said it was also in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed between Nigeria and the United Kingdom on June 1, 2005.
According to him, it will deepen the robust partnership between the two countries in migration management and be a symbol of their commitment to respect human rights of migrants to dignified returns.
Dambazau reaffirmed the commitment of the President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration to the protection of the rights of Nigerians wherever they are and promised improved service delivery to Nigerians in diaspora.
He said: “We have given directive to the NIS to fast track issuance of passports.
“The Ministry of Interior is working closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure that the current global migration crises do not target Nigerians specifically.
“We will also continue to provide consular assistance to those with legal and medical reasons when it comes to deportation.”
Arkwright said Nigeria was a valued partner to the United Kingdom, stressing that Nigeria was the third highest source of visitors to the country.
(c)Today
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