News
Be Stringent Over Visas To Nigerians, Canada Tells US
As Nigerian asylum seekers flood into Canada across a ditch in Upstate New York, Canadian authorities have asked the United States Government for help, but not with managing the influx at the border.
Instead, they want U.S. immigration officials to reduce the foot traffic by screening Nigerians more stringently before granting them U.S. visas.
It is a ripple effect that few expected last summer when people, mostly Haitians, began to walk into Quebec via an “irregular” border crossing north of Plattsburgh, N.Y., and seek refugee status.
With the coming of spring, the flow has picked up again. But recently, the asylum seekers have been mostly Nigerian, and their route to the border is more problematic, Canadian officials say.
Many Haitians had lived in the United States for years before suddenly learning they would lose their protected status and fleeing north.
But many of the Nigerian asylum seekers are arriving in Quebec with recently issued U.S. visitor visas, a spokesman for Canada’s immigration minister, Mathieu Genest, said.
“They’re not using the visa for the reason it was intended for,” he said.
Canada is not asking U.S. officials to refuse entry to Nigerians, Genest said, adding that it was only seeking stricter screening to ensure that Nigerians who are granted U.S. visitor visas truly intend to return home.
The request is an unsurprising one between two countries that have collaborated for decades on migration-related matters.
But it also is a sign that Canada is feeling new pressure on its borders as U.S. immigration and refugee policies shift.
Mary Chukwuwuekezie, who walked into Quebec with her three children in November after staying in the United States for 11 months on a visitor visa, said conditions in Nigeria were worsening.
“They kidnap and burn houses. They’ll even burn a church,” she said.
But it has never been easy for Nigerians, or many other asylum seekers, to enter Canada to lodge a claim in the first place, partly because of its geography.
No one can officially enter Canada from the United States as a refugee claimant because of the Safe Third Country Agreement, which forces people arriving in either country to make their claim where they first land.
Last year, however, a way around that became apparent, when news organizations and past border-crossers on social media publicized the locations of Canada’s unofficial land crossings, opening an opportunity for Nigerians.
“If your final destination is Canada, you’ll want to walk across the border,” Proctor said.
The State Department says that it has “strong working relationships” with Canadian colleagues and that screening is constantly improving, but it isn’t planning any bigger changes to its visa program.
“National security is our top priority when adjudicating visa applications,” a department representative said in a statement.
“At this time, we have no changes to our visa application process to announce.”
The United States has also become less appealing to Nigerians as a place to stay rather than to pass through, they say.
Many took personally two comments reportedly made by Trump, one last June about Nigerian immigrants going “back to their huts” and another in January about African, shole countries.
Winning U.S. asylum claims has become much harder, as well.
The approval rate dropped 26 per cent from 2016 to 2017, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services statistics compiled by Human Rights First.
The Washington-based group’s Director of Refugee Protection, Eleanor Acer, said Canada was well aware that, for many people, the only way to claim asylum in any country was to get a visitor visa first.
“It’s shocking and disappointing that they are trying to encourage another country to deny visas to people who are, in some cases, legitimately seeking protection from persecution,” she said.
As a signatory to international conventions, Acer said, Canada should open its doors further and “actually terminate its Safe Third Country Agreement. If the United States is simply not meeting that standard, given its harsh treatment of asylum seekers.”
Canadian officials have said they are not looking to abandon the agreement, although last week, they struck a slightly different tone.
Given the current numbers of asylum seekers, “we have contingency plans,” Genest said.
“That being said, we are constantly in conversation with the U.S., making sure that the Safe Third Country Agreement is working for both countries.”
Many of Canada’s new asylum seekers may end up disappointed. Of asylum claims processed last year, a minority of the total awaiting adjudication, more than half of the Nigerians were rejected, a significant jump from the previous three years, and nearly three-quarters of the Haitians were rejected, up from about half.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has described the late Chief Albert Korubo Horsfall as a distinguished statesman whose contributions to national development brought honour and distinction to the Kalabari Kingdom and Rivers State.
Fubara said Horsfall’s life of service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity had left an enduring legacy that would continue to inspire generations.
The governor spoke through the Secretary to the Rivers State Government, Dr Dagogo Wokoma, at the funeral service of the late elder statesman last Saturday in Buguma, Asari-Toru Local Government Area of the State.
He described Horsfall as a patriotic Nigerian whose leadership and dedication to the country’s development earned him a place in the nation’s history.
“Chief Horsfall was a distinguished statesman whose life was defined by service, patriotism, integrity and commitment to humanity.
“His contributions to our nation, particularly through his service as Director-General of the State Security Service, pioneer Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency and Chairman of OMPADEC, remain significant milestones in our national history,” Fubara said.
The governor noted that the late Horsfall’s contributions to national security, intelligence administration and the development of the Niger Delta would remain part of his enduring legacy.
“His legacy of leadership, national service and dedication to development will remain an enduring source of inspiration to generations yet unborn,” he added.
Fubara urged the bereaved family, the Kalabari people and other Nigerians to uphold the values of peace, unity and selfless service exemplified by the late elder statesman.
The funeral service attracted several dignitaries, including the Director-General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), a representative of the Bayelsa State Governor, the Managing Director of NDDC, Chairman of PENDEF and the Regent of the Kalabari Kingdom.
Also in attendance were the Rivers State Commissioner for Education, the Commissioner for Special Projects and other government officials, traditional rulers and stakeholders.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to partner with local government councils that prioritize the welfare and development of people at the grassroots.
Fubara stated this last Thursday in Nkoro Town during the commissioning of the newly built Sir Siminalayi Fubara Corps Members’ Lodge, executed by Hon. James A. James, the Chairman of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr Sunny Ewule, the governor said the project goes beyond a building to represent hope, hospitality and responsible leadership.
According to him, providing decent and safe accommodation for Nationl Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members who leave their comfort zones to serve in communities is the least government can do.
“Today we are not just commissioning a building, we are commissioning hope, hospitality and responsible leadership. The Chairman of Opobo/ Nkoro LGA, Hon. James A. James has understood a very simple truth that those who come to serve us must serve with dignity,.
“Our young graduates who serves under the NYSC scheme leave the comfort of their homes and travel far to contribute to our communities, they teach our children, they work in our health centres, and they become parts of our families.
“The least we can do is give them a decent, safe and befitting place to lay their heads. What Hon. James A. James has done today is in total alignment with the vision of this administration, an administration that believes in people, that prioritises welfare and that believes development must be felt in every local government and not just in Port Harcourt” he said.
Fubara further urged the beneficiaries of the corpers lodge to make good use of the facilities of the newly built edifice and be good ambassadors of Nigeria, respect the culture and traditions of the host community while continue to serve with dedication and patriotism.
“This Corpers lodge will enhance the security and welfare of serving corps members, boost their morale and make Opobo/Nkoro and even more attractive place for posting, it is a strategic investment in human capital and in peace building,” he said.
He commended the Opobo/Nkoro Council Chairman for aligning with his administration’s vision of ensuring development is felt in all 23 local government areas of the State, and not just in Port Harcourt, adding that the lodge is a strategic investment in human capital, security and peace building.
In his goodwill message, the Rivers State NYSC Coordinator, Mr. Moses Oleghe, said the accommodation was 85 percent of Corps members’ challenges.
Oleghe thanked Governor Fubara for the recent increase in the State allowances for Corps members to N35,000 for those in 21 rural areas and N20,000 for those in Obio/Akpor and Port Harcourt City LGAs, describing the gesture as a moral booster for the corps members.
The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Disu, has secured an offer of specialised training for up to 5,000 Nigerian police personnel under a proposed security cooperation involving Nigeria, the United States and Italy.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement issued at the Force Headquarters, Abuja, at the weekend.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening the operational capacity of the Nigeria Police Force to tackle insurgency, terrorism, kidnapping, arms trafficking and other emerging security threats across the country.
According to the statement, the proposed training programme will focus on counter-insurgency operations, intelligence-led patrols and tactical operations, particularly in difficult rural and forested environments.
Other areas of training include critical infrastructure protection, digital and scientific forensics, cybercrime investigations, explosives detection, financial investigations, asset tracing and anti-extortion operations.
The programme is expected to extend beyond the Police Mobile Force to other specialised units, including explosive ordnance disposal and forensic teams.
As part of the engagement, Disu met with the Commander-General of the Italian Carabinieri, Lieutenant-General Salvatore Luongo, to explore areas of technical assistance, professional training and institutional cooperation.
The police chief and his delegation also visited the Carabinieri Centre of Excellence for Stability Police Units in Vicenza, Italy, where they assessed training facilities and explored opportunities to adapt specialised policing programmes to Nigeria’s security needs.
Proposals discussed during the visit included command courses for 40 senior police officers, leadership training for 100 junior commanders and the deployment of a mobile assistance team to support Police Mobile Force training schools in Gwoza, Borno State, and Ila-Orangun, Osun State.
The discussions also covered the development of a national stability policing doctrine and standard operating procedures to improve professionalism, operational coordination and civilian protection, particularly in communities recovering from conflict.
Other areas of proposed cooperation include canine operations, forensic science and mounted policing, including horse breeding and local capacity development for effective public order management.
To formalise the proposed partnership, the IGP has initiated moves towards a Memorandum of Understanding covering specialised training, technology transfer and operational procedures.
He also invited an Italian Carabinieri assessment team to Abuja to identify priority needs and develop implementation arrangements.
Disu reaffirmed the commitment of the Nigeria Police Force to international partnerships that will strengthen operational readiness, improve investigative capacity and enhance the protection of lives and property.
The statement did not, however, indicate when the proposed training programme would commence or provide a definite implementation timetable.
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