Unwanted migrants to be shipped out

Press, 14 May 1985, Page 10

Unwanted migrants to be shipped out

NZPA-Reuter Lagos Nigeria has arranged for two ships to take home thousands of illegal immigrants stranded after the expiry of a deadline for their departure, State television says. Hundreds of aliens were reported to be boarding the vessels on Sunday as angry scenes continued among immigrants blocked in the country since its borders were closed on Friday. clashes erupted yesterday between riot police and aliens outside a crowded transit camp near Lagos Airport, where tens of thou-

sands of people unable to depart have been ferried from border posts since the deadline expired. Five policemen were injured, two seriously, as the aliens hurled missiles and the police replied with tear gas. The access road to the airport was closed for several hours. Vehicles were stoned, and a warehouse was taken over by the immigrants. Nigeria opened its borders for only one week after ordering an estimated 700,000 illegal immigrants to put their papers in order

or leave the country. Diplomatic sources say the number who left before the Friday deadline was well below 700,000. Nigeria’s second in command, Major-General Tunde Idiagbon, said that the exercise was neither an expulsion nor a punitive step, but that Nigeria could not close its eyes to the strain on its economy caused by the illegal immigrants. Neighbouring countries whose nationals were affected by the move had been kept in touch at every step, he said. The stranded immigrants

have expressed anger at the Nigerian Government’s decision to bring them back from border posts to the transit camp and send them home by sea. The immigrants said they had already paid the cost of transportation by road. Many had said they feared they would lose their belongings if they were sent home by sea. Those with cars said they did not want to give them up. At the transit camp, normally used by pilgrims on their way to Mecca, prices of bread, soft drinks and water have tripled as

women from local villages hurriedly set up food stalls. The immigrants earlier complained they had been without food or water for days. There have been about a dozen reported deaths so far, mostly in road accidents, but Nigeria has denied reports from Benin that its security men shot five immigrants. No deaths were reported after the clashes at the transit camp. Nigerian authorities have not released figures on the number of people to have left the country.