[{"bbox": [96, 152, 1136, 366], "category": "Text", "text": "smuggling of migrants, which disproportionately affect young women and children. The role of the state taskforces in addressing irregular migration needs to be stepped up. Operationalisation of instruments such as the National Action Plan on Trafficking, the National Referral Mechanism for Victims of Trafficking, and the National Border Management Strategy, as well as investigation and prosecution capacities of the National Agency for the Prohibition against Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) need to be strengthened. Collaboration between EU MS' law enforcement agencies and judicial bodies with Nigerian law enforcement agencies and state taskforces is still embryonic. The capacities of the Risk Analysis Cell established by Frontex within NIS premises need to be reinforced."}, {"bbox": [96, 389, 1136, 923], "category": "Text", "text": "Return, readmission and reintegration are additional key challenges in the Nigerian migration context. The operational and technical capacities of the National Commission for Migrants, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (NCFRMI) in this area are not yet fully developed while return management and reintegration are predominantly project-based and third-party driven. Returnees face a myriad of challenges, including stigma within their communities as well as difficulties to cope with the pressures of a highly competitive job market and a difficult business environment. Return migration efforts need to be better matched with reintegration support by consistently utilizing all available services, partnerships and structures as well as strengthening the capacities and sense of ownership of national, state and local actors working in this area. Building on best practices, engagement with civil society organisations as well as the Regional Case Management Committees in the delivery of reintegration assistance needs to be sustained in order to facilitate a smooth and effective reintegration process through a community dialogue-approach. More innovative approaches to livelihood opportunities are required in order to engage Nigerian returnees in business and entrepreneurship opportunities, including through more linkages with state employment agencies and the private sector as well as more effective referrals to existing government actors and other reintegration programmes; in this regard, the utilisation of the existing Migrant Resource Centres operated by the Ministry of Labour for the creation and maintenance of a National Referral Mechanism is instrumental. Synergies with European joint reintegration structures succeeding the European Return and Reintegration Network (ERRIN) such as the Return and Reintegration Facility (RRF) should be thoroughly explored in Nigeria. Practical cooperation on returns with EU MS and Frontex needs to be enhanced by fully employing facilities and resources available at EU, MS, Frontex and local level, in order to also accompany and guide the recently revived political dialogue on readmission which formerly remained mostly dormant."}, {"bbox": [96, 946, 1136, 1347], "category": "Text", "text": "Other mainstream challenges affecting the effective implementation of migration governance are related to inadequate diaspora engagement, limited data collection capacities as well as the unlocked potential of the otherwise well-established civil society coalitions across the country. Support to the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) and related bodies to mobilize high-skilled migrants in the diaspora in the health and education sector has been limited in the past. The Commission has repeatedly reiterated its will to drive diaspora investments into the Nigerian economy but is substantially short of funding. The National Diaspora Policy Action Plan is not yet operational. Despite substantial improvement in the migration data management skills of the agencies in charge of data collection through trainings and provision of technical equipment to aid migration data processing and dissemination, the technical capacity of the National Population Commission (NPopC) and National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) to collect, process and disseminate migration data needs to be enhanced. Civil society organisations proactively bring in fresh perspectives and initiatives, act as human rights defenders and service providers and make important contributions to building and implementing inclusive migration policies. However, more efforts are needed to maximise the impact of civil society partnerships, in order to support a continuum of services across all areas of involvement and embed change which is durable and sustainable, especially in the return and reintegration sphere."}, {"bbox": [96, 1370, 1136, 1613], "category": "Text", "text": "Overall, following the adoption and operationalisation of the National Migration policy, identified operational gaps and challenges - amplified by an unforeseen voluntary return of thousands of stranded Nigerian migrants due to the humanitarian crisis in Libya, the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the socio-economic crisis - necessitate further reinforcement and proper implementation of the migration governance framework, including a robust response to trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. Building on the already comprehensive migration framework Nigeria has in place, the EU, through this intervention, proposes support towards proper implementation, enforcement and advancement of existing policies, instruments and structures to ensure an all-inclusive response to management of migration and mobility that is framed around national ownership, cross-sector and inter-agency cooperation, community engagement and sustainability."}]