Statelessness: Nigeria to issue UN passport to persons at risk
Published: 25/Feb/2017
Source: Business Day (Nigeria)
Hon. Sani Zorro, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) has disclosed Nigeria’s government plan to issue United Nations passport to people at risk of being stateless.
Zorro made this known during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Saturday, in Abuja, marking the second anniversary of Nigeria ratifying the Abidjan Declaration to end statelessness.
He said that the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs (NCFRMI) and the National Immigration Department are engaged in a process called refugee status determination.
He explained that this process would help to ascertain stateless persons that are eligible for the UN passport, a document they can hold on to before their respective cases are resolved.
Zorro noted that it is important for Nigeria to speedily domesticate and implement the Abidjan Declaration on statelessness as it contains the strategies and recommendations of dealing with statelessness.
He pointed out that there is a looming stateless situation in Nigeria which could arise from the high level of displacement in the North-east, those who fled to Nigeria during crises, amongst others.
“As a result of the North East Crises, quite a number of refugees who find themselves in neighbouring countries of Chad, Niger and Cameroon may not be able to return to Nigeria again.
Read further: https://www.businessdayonline.com/statelessness-nigeria-issue-un-passport-persons-risk/