As a result of the high number of abused and stranded migrants of Edo origin in Europe and Northern Africa, especially in Italy and Libya, we took up the mandate to receive and welcome returned migrants, and also to help in the rehabilitation and reintegration of trafficked victims from Edo State. We work to help both voluntary and forcefully returned migrant reach self-sufficiency, social stability, and psychosocial well-being.
A four-man team (comprising representatives from ETAHT, the Nigerian Police Force (NPF), The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), and the Department of State Service (DSS)) welcomes the returnees upon their arrival at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport and assists the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Nigerian Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) with the initial profiling exercise.
Returnees who require urgent medical attention are immediately attended to by professional medical doctors. Those who require further medical treatment are referred to Central Hospital.
After the returnees have been profiled and given first aid treatment, those who are Edo State indigenes or residents are selected and transported by buses to the State capital - Benin City.
Upon arrival, an initial medical examination is carried out on the returnees to ascertaining the level of physiological assistance needed by each returnee. This is carried out by trained medical professionals on behalf of the Edo State Taskforce.
After they arrive and have been given their welcome packs, a trained counsellor gives them a welcome address and informs them of the profiling exercise and the various processes they need to go through. After this exercise, the returnees are given food and water as refreshment.
The Secretary of the Taskforce and a welcome team receive the returnees at Motel Benin Plaza, which serves as a temporary 3-day shelter for returnees. The welcome team consists of profilers, social workers, medical doctors, members of the Edo Internal Revenue Service (EIRS), investigators and welfare officers.
Upon reception, a basic welcome pack is handed to the returnees to cater to their immediate hygiene needs. The welcome pack comprises bathroom slippers, a bar of soap, a sponge, toothpaste, a toothbrush, a towel, underwear and a t-shirt.
We have a comprehensive welcome programme for returnees, and it includes the following Steps:
Individualized counselling for all returnees are provided by a seven-man counselling team composed of trained social workers. Counselling is an integral part of the Taskforce activities, and is currently available for all returnees, right from when they establish contact. Counsellors include persons from the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development.
In order to easily identify returnees under our welcome programme the Taskforce issues customized identification cards to returnees. During the profiling exercise their pictures are taken for this purpose.
After the profiling exercise is completed temporary accommodation is given to returnees who don’t have an immediate place to stay. The accommodation facility is available to them for 3 days
To improve our services, and assist us with knowing more about our areas of focus, vital information is collected from each returnee. Some of the information includes their bio-data, details of their journey, reasons for travelling, previous occupation, and expectations upon return
After the returnees have been profiled and screened, representatives from the Edo State Internal Revenue Service, take their biometric data. This data is tied to their Tax Identification Number and card.
On arrival, phones are made readily available to returnees to contact their family members to inform them of their return. We help contact and locate families of returnees, and also mediate to settle any damaged relationship between them and their families.
Seven investigators and security agents are present during the profiling exercise to collect information about alleged traffickers and their accomplices and other security information.
In order to aid the process of return and reintegration, all voluntarily repatriated Edo returnees from Libya are paid monthly stipends for a period of 3 months. The payments are usually made to different categories of returnees in the following order; N20, 000 for single returnees, N25, 000 for pregnant returnees, and N10, 000 for children. Prior to the payment of the stipends, we conduct a verification exercise for the purpose of monitoring and evaluating the progress of returnee resettlement. The verification exercise is also for the purpose of ascertaining the whereabouts of returnees that have been received and registered into the database of the Taskforce. With the conclusion of each verification exercise, we then make payment directly into the bank accounts of returnees.
Training programmes for returnees are a major aspect of ETAHT’s activities. The vocational training programmes for returnees give opportunities to returnees to learn a vocation/skill that will help them to be useful to society. Some of the skills acquisition and training programmes organised for returnees since the inauguration of the Taskforce include, Women’s Helping Hand, The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Entrepreneurship Training, Action Aid Training Programme, amongst others. Read more about our training programmes here.