One of our key areas of intervention, Anti-Human Trafficking, and Irregular Migration, has constantly drawn the interest of actors and stakeholders due to the alarming surge in the cases of irregular migration and human exploitation all over the world. Over the years, economic insecurity has been identified as one of the leading causes of irregular migration; with more people leaving their homes through illegal routes amid attendant hazards, nations have continued to witness a devastating rise in cases of trafficking in persons.
To combat the rate of irregular migration and human trafficking in Nigeria, Caritas Nigeria, with the support of the Italian Bishops’ Conference and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), is building the resilience of returnee migrants in Edo state by providing them with economic, psychosocial and legal support. While the Sustainable Measures Against Trafficking in Persons (SMAT-P) project of the Italian Bishops’ Conference seeks to support vulnerable persons and households to live productively, the GIZ-funded Stable, Trained and Empowered Migrant (STEM) project aims to ensure the reintegration of returnee migrants through the provision of vocational skills training and economic empowerment.
Following their training in poultry farming, fish farming, tailoring and hairdressing, Caritas Nigeria facilitated the economic empowerment of 52 returned migrants under GIZ’s STEM project and 25 potential migrants under the Italian Bishops’ SMAT-P project. They also received the requisite tools to start their businesses.
Lately, with the support of GIZ, we also provided a total of 22 beneficiaries comprising 18 returned migrants, 2 survivors of trafficking, and 2 at-risk populations with fashion design business start-up kits in May, after their impressive completion of a three-month training in the skill.