Global Cas-Migration Concept

09/09/2022

TAKING OWNERSHIP OF INTER-AGENCY COOPERATION IN BORDER MANAGEMENT

It is not doubtful any longer that a once popular medieval practice of the immigration phenomenon no longer hold water in today's global migration trend. This is reflective of the saying, "there is no cessation of an idea whose time has come." This idea didn't birth a change in the migration principle, rather it modernized its ways of application.

Migration is a global wave that societies and nations should approach with new instrument and policies. Migration, as is anchored in Border Management, its modern practice demands an integrated border management approach.
This author wishes to spare his readers of basic definitions of Migrant and Migration, but has chosen to remind us of the concept of Border Management.

BORDER MANAGEMENT concept is the process of striking a balance between the need to maintain security against cross-border threats and the freedom of movement of persons, goods, services and commerce.
Examination of this concept revealed 2 structures; Facilitation and Control. Secondly, it revealed the presence of movement of goods, services and trade.

Facilitation represents legitimate cross-border flows of people, goods and services.
Control seeks to establish security in the midst of facilitation. What is more striking is that both facilitation and control have to be equally recognized, harmonized and jointly applied. This strategy is the only clue to effective border management, otherwise known as Integrated Border Management(IBM).

Focusing on the IBM system of Border Management which has become the most effective border management system, there exists 4 key operational components:
- Trained Personnel
- Audit capacity
- Inter-Agency and International cooperation
- Strategic partnership with carriers and industry

We have learned that the process of border management does not only involve movement of persons across borders, but also of goods, trade and services. It is the peculiar need to move goods, trade and services that has redefined the concept of migration, now Modern Migration. In the light of this upscale, more agencies have become important factors in the immigration phenomenon and as such, operational harmony is expected, if the Country would reap the benefits of Migration.

Importantly, this article is purposed to renew the mindset of the Immigration Officer basically to:

- Understand that a new status has now been established in Border Management which seeks to eclipse the unpopular, drudge and self centered method of border operation.

- Shun the assumption that other agencies are likely to usurp your core responsibility as you yield to the agreement of inter-agency cooperation.

- Understand that inter-agency cooperation only gives the immigration service an edge over other migration agencies since migration laws have placed the Service as the arrow head and lead agency in the migration equation.

- Appreciate the life law that says, "two is better than one because they have a good reward for their labour, and a three-fold cord cannot be easily broken. This life point targets to unify border agencies for overall national benefit.

Any need, the author should remind us that the presence of goods, trade and services in the border management concept is the reason for involvement of other agencies, such as; Nigeria Customs Service(NCS), Port Health Services(PHS), Directorate of Secret Service(DSS), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency(NDLEA), National Agency for Prohibition of Traffic in Persons(NAPTIP), etc, in the modern migration concept.

The role of the Nigeria Immigration Service(NIS) in Border Management and by extension, Border Security can be likened to a hypothetical case of a Captain who takes lead responsibility of a Football Team in a contest.

Necessity is laid on the NIS to be the pathfinder, and a possible game changer in the immigration phenomenon. The Service is the facilitator of overall constituent goals of migration because of its primary responsibility of control of movement of persons.

In recognition of other team members - NCS, PHS, NDLEA, DSS, NAPTIP, and other stakeholders, the NiS is expected to assume ownership of Border Management leadership through inspirational initiatives, pro-activeness, and discovery of local content measures and relational techniques of border operations that's peculiar to Nigeria borders, but in line with the principle of Integrated Border Management.

Inter-Agency cooperation took a positive step on the 2nd of June, 2022, when the NIS, in conjunction with the International Organization for Migration(IOM) organized a Joint Senior Management meeting involving the NAPTIP, and PHS. This gathering heralded the authentication of an evolving operational synergy that's existing among the 3 agencies. Before this event, some officials of these agencies were selected to constitute a Technical Working Group that developed the NIS Training Strategy Joint Curriculum and Joint Training Handbook for on-the-job joint training for officers of the 3 agencies at the Personnel Training Resource Centers(PTRC).

Under the periscope and platform of the IOM, personnel from the 3 agencies were guided into the development and review of the resounding joint training documents. The concluded event of joint senior management meeting was the highpoint and exhibition of resultant milestones.

Additionally, with supervision of the IOM, the NIS has been undergoing joint law enforcement step down training that's inclusive of the NDLEA and Directorate of Secret Service(DSS) aimed at fostering operational understanding at the Border. The NIS joint training efforts with other border agencies is plausible and very important to the organization's drive for effective border management, but this will not be all. The Service should without delay implement the following action plans:

Set up a 10-man or more field Coaches and Mentors whose responsibility shall be;

- to demonstrate a border management simulation of inter-agency cooperation at ports of entries.

- the coaches are to exemplify at ports of entries, a management model that would interface other border agencies which must aim at facilitating hitch-free passage of bona-fide travellers.

- this Team is expected to tour all recognized entry points - airports, seaports and land borders.

- criteria for selecting Coach team members would be best determined by experience and knowledge of Modern Border Management techniques.

WHY IS THIS NECESSARY?

1. It is necessary in order to keep the NIS MISSION Statement alive.

2. It will give the NIS the edge and place the Service in a vantage point of control and leadership as it explores the inter-agency cooperation agreement.

3. Being a lead agency tends to heighten the expectations of other border agencies from the Service in regards to evolving trends and initiatives to eventual reality occurrence at the border. For these reasons, due diligence is expected from the NIS.

4. The NIS success at the borders will not be achieved through academic knowledge, but by the application of this knowledge. The Service should not be content and complacent with the system interface provided by Migration Information and Data Analysis System(MIDAS). There remains a physical relationship.

5. Let us examine this critical question: "What happens to the integrity of the NIS, if after completing disembarkation exercise on a migrant, it was discovered that he/she is positive with a pandemic, or the migrant in question concealed some kilograms of narcotics? This means that repatriation/deportation eventually awaits the migrant.
If the case is an embarking Nigerian, a final refuse of departure eventually occurs, of which the NIS is helpless in most cases. I can confirm to you that this has been the scenario all along at our ports of entries.

The reality is, this hasn't helped the NIS credibility. However, the vision of IBM inspired inter-agency cooperation has become handy to help the NIS take her integrity back.

ACI - CC IHEJIRIKA, writes from the TSD of SHQ.

28/06/2022

MIGRATION CRISIS AT THE BORDER OF MOROCCO AND SPAIN: A bloodletting consequence

24/04/2022

MIGRATION AND CULTURE DAMAGE.

Man, which includes male and female, is a walking warehouse of solution, as he is equally the source of most problematic situations. Mankind tends to favour inaction over performance, it is easier to destroy than to build. Construction will require creative thinking, and is usually found outside the box. Indeed, common sense is so uncommon, that its never common.

Tradition and all of it's instruments of perpetuation have frustrated growth and needed changes in Africa. With her abundant talents that's fitted to her culture, there seems to be deficient cunning attitude that's capable of demanding negotiations to her favour.

At roundtable crucial moments, gifted Africans appear bereft of the positive points that can deliver victory against uncommon opponents. Eventhough in a win situation, they fail in the application. The leadership problem of Africa is not the case of lack of genuine leaders among Africans, but the scourge of deliberate sabotage among people who undermine the plans and actions of true leaders.

Being proactive to effect changes in a culture is not same as wiping out the entire culture in the name of change. Although, culture should appear static, it has to be dynamic in the form of review and upgrade. For effective and effectual competitiveness with other cultures, a culture would require seasonal upscale for continual existence.

Afrcan culture is almost non-existent today because of leadership challenge. Against this backdrop, necessity is laid on me to consider MIGRATION as the litmus test of culture stability. Colonialism could be a case in point, if Migration is being examined as a hostile force. One major devastating impact of colonialization was the cultural damage it exerted on its regional victims. Standards were wiped off, traditions were short-circuited, and the makeover of the human soul(the mind, will and emotion), were excited to adjust to a new normal.

In the light of these damages, how would the culture have remained the same? This situation will require brain re-setting for the purpose of compliance, or maintenance of the 'status quo anthe,' while accommodating the unacceptable migration force. The later is known as, Cultural Assimilation - the willingness to recognize cultural diversity.

Multicultural policy is often the handwork of bond men leaders who are insecure, self-centered, and ignorant of the gains of cultural diversity. In Frankness, migration should not be seen as a hostile force, eventhough in the context of colonialism, it appeared harmful, this is also true of the access it has created for transnational organized crimes.

Migration ought to be recognized by leaders of nations as a stimulus of National prosperity and globalization, as well as, the outcome of globalization. Ignorance of these facts have shipwrecked many Afrcan nations into dependent nations, and not independent. To these nations, Socio-cultural conditions which is foundational for nation's migration policies are relegated. Truthfully, most African nations have no migration policy.

Important questions are: What are those practices that have brought glory and uniqueness to you as a people or society? Why would you deliberately permit the collapse of these structures or systems in place of continued sustenance of the vestiges of colonialism? Your systems may be crude, but as long as it's result oriented, why jettison it completely, instead of upgrading it? When the Koreans created the DAEWOO COMPANY, one of it's inventions was the Daewoo Racer Car. Against all odds, it competed favorably with American brand of cars. A day came when I listened to the commentary of an American inventor on the Asian discovery, and he said: 'The Asian Technology is crude, but it works.'

What are those strutures that still work in your nation, but have become crude? Have you considered using your social capital(educated citizens) to finetune and refine them for cultural preservation instead of deploying expatriates only found in expensive primary market.

More questions are expedient in the context of the 'why' of your existence as an African.
Why haven't African leaders discovered a common ground on 'gender issue,' instead of falling with their heels over their heads on a blueprint being released by Euro-Americans on gender mainstreaming?
Why are Afrcan Lawyers and Judges compromised on legal implications of Gender mainstreaming developed by foreign advocates?

All humans are created equal, but different. Male and female created HE them equal, but different designs and features. Nature, might be the same, but features and design are directly proportional to the naturally given roles. Failure of some people to acknowledge these variations have led to homosexuality and lesbianism. Feminism seems to convince the female that her association with the male is unnecessary and irrelevant. This is an abberration, and a tragedy to mankind.

Traditionally, Africa is known for extended family symbiosis, and this communalistic lifestyle has failed the relationship test of Euro-Americans. The cultural damage experienced in Africa given the compromise of this tradition by some Africans who suddenly have delighted in individualistic lifestyle, typical of the Euro-Americans, may be hidden but not silent. This is because, Africans are not wired to function individually.

Is it proper for a woman to be dressed up on a pair of jeans trousers to Church or to the Mosque in Africa? Although, some people might approve of this considering how compromised they have become with foreign cultures, but it is never an African tradition. And certainly, it's not one of those that need a review. However, this moral and the likes of it, has never been a serious teaching subject in Africa.

It is the people, and not Migration that should be held accountable for society cultural damage. Contrary to people belief, it is the society culture that exerts stronger influence on migrants culture, and ultimately, there becomes zero clash between both cultures. Africa society should consider re-evaluation of their culture and exploit its use as a negotiation weapon for national development.

African leaders have a duty to develop migration policies that would clampdown on 'BRAIN DRAIN' and encourage BRAIN GAIN. Migration motivated 'brain drain' is the ultimate expression of migration as a hostile force or a hostile environment. Unfortunately, this failure is only man-made.

ACI Ihejirika C C writes from TSD (HRM) - SHQ.

Cleveland wedding photographer providing the perfect blend of photojournalism and glamour. Fashionable yet natural...Modern yet timeless.

01/03/2022

WAR INSTIGATED MIGRATION CRISIS