From Adannna Nnamano, Abuja
More than 1,000 Nigerians are reportedly stranded in the UK after falling for fraudulent job scams, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
IOM’s chief of mission to Nigeria, Laurent De Boeck, disclosed this to Journalists at a press conference on Monday in Abuja.
He added that the majority of these scam victims have lost almost $10,000 each, and many of them have chosen not to go back home out of fear of being stigmatised.
According to De Boeck, “There are some of them who lost over $10,000 only to be given fake employment letters, which allowed them to get visas,” the mission chief said.
“They get there, present the letters, and the organisations tell them that the letters did not emanate from them.
“Over a thousand people are affected.”
De Boeck said the number of migrants from Edo to Europe has declined owing to the state’s counter-trafficking measures.
“You may know that the highest number of people migrating to Europe are from Benin, Edo state, but that is changing now,” he said.
“We have seen the commitment of the governor of Edo on counter-trafficking has curbed the departure from Edo State.”
He said the international agency had worked with the federal government to reintegrate 4,431 Nigerians with their families.
“Collaborating with the Federal Government of Nigeria, IOM facilitated the return of 4,431 Nigerians and supported their reintegration.
“A total of 2,853 individuals received reintegration assistance, engaging in socio-economic opportunities of their choice,” he noted.
De Boeck added that in 2023, 260,000 Nigerians have sought his organisation’s help to migrate through the right routes, adding that many of them settled for the UK.