New Nigeria-Türkiye Pact Targets Safe Return and Economic Reintegration of Migrants
Oru Leonard
Nigeria and Türkiye are strengthening migration cooperation with plans to introduce a voluntary return and reintegration programme designed to assist undocumented Nigerian migrants in Türkiye to return home with dignity and support.
The initiative was discussed during a high-level meeting in Abuja between officials of Türkiye’s Presidency of Migration Management and the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), as both countries work towards signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on voluntary return and reintegration.
Head of Removal Affairs at Türkiye’s Presidency of Migration Management, Hunkar Burkan Ibin, said the proposed framework is aimed at providing a humane alternative to deportation by encouraging undocumented migrants to voluntarily return to Nigeria and benefit from reintegration assistance.
According to him, migrants who opt for voluntary return will receive counselling, skills assessments and tailored support packages to help them rebuild their lives and become economically self-sufficient upon their return.
Ibin explained that under the current arrangement, undocumented migrants arrested in Türkiye are held in administrative detention centres while travel documents are processed through the Nigerian Embassy before deportation procedures begin. However, those who voluntarily return would have access to support mechanisms unavailable to deported migrants.
Responding, NiDCOM Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, welcomed the proposal, describing it as a positive step towards managing migration in a humane and responsible manner.
She noted that Türkiye remains one of Nigeria’s important partners in diaspora engagement, recalling that the first diaspora-focused Memorandum of Understanding signed by Nigeria with another country was with Türkiye.
Dabiri-Erewa encouraged undocumented Nigerians in Türkiye to embrace the initiative when it becomes operational, assuring them that NiDCOM would work closely with Turkish authorities to ensure that promised reintegration support reaches beneficiaries.
She reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to discouraging irregular migration and warned that global migration regulations are becoming increasingly stringent, making undocumented migration riskier than ever.
The NiDCOM boss also disclosed plans to collaborate with relevant agencies, including the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI), to sensitise Nigerians on the opportunities provided by the voluntary return programme and the dangers associated with irregular migration.
Officials of the Turkish delegation said consultations are ongoing with Nigerian institutions, including the NCFRMI, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the CLEEN Foundation and the Nigeria Immigration Service, to finalise modalities for the programme ahead of the signing of the MoU.
The proposed agreement is expected to deepen bilateral cooperation on migration management while providing undocumented Nigerian migrants in Türkiye with a safer and more supportive pathway back home.
