Migrants Massacre: Negotiate Decent Jobs With Foreign Countries For Migrating Citizens –Journalists Group Tells Nigeria, Other African Countries

Scores of Africans seeking to cross into Spain were recently killed and scores of migrants and police were injured in what Moroccan authorities called a “stampede” of people surging across Morocco’s border fence with the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla.

A total of 133 migrants breached the border between the Moroccan city of Nador and Melilla, the first such mass crossing since Spain and Morocco mended diplomatic relations last month. A spokesperson for the Spanish government’s office in Melilla said about 2,000 people attempted to cross, but many were stopped by Spanish Civil Guard police and Moroccan forces on either side of the border fence.

However, JIFORM in a statement signed by the forum’s President, Dr Ajibola Abayomi and released on Thursday, asserted that they strongly suspect that the incident was a planned political war between Morocco and Spain given the diplomatic row between the two nations in recent times.

“We, therefore, say it is unjust to use migrants to settle their political scores,” the group said.

According to the forum, the sad occurrence at the border of Spain is a direct consequence of failure of the African nations to properly plan migration on the continent for continua reaping of its immense benefits, stressing that Sierra Leone is leading the way for others to copy.

The statement reads; “We hereby called on the United Nations and the African Union to properly investigate what the Moroccan authorities diplomatically called a “stampede” of people surging across Morocco’s border fence with the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla last Friday that resulted in this unfortunate incident.”

The forum said that the recent death of scores of African migrants at the border of Spain should propel other African nations to emulate Sierra Leone on decent work negotiation as a pathway to reducing irregular migration from the continent.

JIFORM said given the ugly trends of irregular migration, the time was ripe for serious African labour migration roundtable multi-lateral discussion with countries in Europe, Middle East, America and other parts to safeguard young Africans against death, abuse, and other forms of inhuman treatment.

Ajibola Abayomi praised Sierra Leonean government whose Minister of Labour and Productivity, Alpha Timbo recently signed a bilateral agreement with the Saudi Arabian government that would guarantee protection and dignity of labour of migrants trained by the Slice of Success (SOS) Labour Global Investments, Ghana led by Dr Princess Kabuki Ocansey, a member of the African Union Labour Migration Advisory Committee.

“Yearly, Africa with the youngest population valued more than gold in the universe is not doing enough to provide jobs, health care, infrastructure, security, education, and other opportunities to rescue the teaming youths from poverty and guarantee their future.

“The sad occurrence at the border of Spain is a direct consequence of failure of the African nations to properly plan migration on the continent for continua reaping of its immense benefits. Sierra Leone is leading the way for others to copy.

“The reality is that African leaders are failing to address the reasons why these migrants are so desperate to move to Europe and elsewhere. We sympathize with the migrants and condemn in strong terms the inhuman approach of the Moroccan and the Spanish security for visiting terror on defenseless people.

“Irregular migration is a perilous journey that we are totally against and must do everything to stop; however so long as the adventurous youths are not provided for, they will continue to desperately move to where they can meet the challenges of keeping body and soul.

“The right approach is to discuss terms and conditions of labour movement of Africans to the Middle East, Europe, America and other places with sound legislation as it is being done in Sierra Leone, Malawi, Angola, Philippines, and others.

“That way, we will not only frustrate irregular migration, unplanned journey, human trafficking, sex trafficking and smuggling of migrants, but chat a pathway against slavery and achieve migrant protection with rewarding save, orderly and regular migration embellished with economic benefits for all.”

Dr Ajibola averred that the recent inhumane treatment resulting in the death of over 51 Africans at the border between Morocco and Spain was a painful occurrence with no justification.

He argued that both countries were guilty of crime against humanity for lacking emotional management required by the circumstance, regretting that many African nations were to blame for exposing their ambitious youths to deadly missions by failing to meet the basic needs to guarantee the right to decent life.

“We are sad that based on the footage of the incident that migrants seeking to cross to Spain were subdued to unthinkable and gruesome situations by the Spanish security agents. While we symphatise with both Morocco and Spain on the death of their security officers, we want to emphatically state that the genocide committed against the African migrants must not be swept under the carpet.

“We strongly suspect that this is a planned pure political war between Morocco and Spain given the diplomatic row between the two nations in recent times. We therefore say it is unjust to use migrants to settle their political scores.

“We hereby call on the United Nations and the African Union to properly investigate what the Moroccan authorities diplomatically called a “stampede” of people surging across Morocco’s border fence with the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla last Friday that resulted in this unfortunate incident.”