Trafficking and Smuggling of Irregular Migrants from Nigeria to Europe: Strategies and Challenges of the European Union to Migration Governance

Doi: https://doi.org/10.58603/SHTT9746

Rezumat: The objective of this study is to ascertain the causes of trafficking and smuggling of irregular migrants from Nigeria to Europe, and examine European Union strategies and challenges to migration governance in curbing trafficking and smuggling of irregular migrants from Nigeria to Europe. The study made use of qualitative data through individual in-depth interviews conducted on European External Action Service, EU delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Frontex, International Organisation for Migration, Nigeria Immigration Service, Idia Renaissance and the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons. Findings showed that the causes of trafficking and smuggling of irregular migrants from Nigeria to Europe are not limited to border porosity with other Africa countries, cultural perspective that remittance flow improves economic standard of families, and demand of bribe by the security officials from smugglers and traffickers. Moreover, findings revealed migration governance put in place by the EU to curb trafficking and smuggling of irregular migrants from Nigeria to Europe such as the adoption of revised 2000 Cotonou agreement, establishment of European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling, Europol Information Clearing House, Visa Information System, and European Union Trust Fund for Africa. However, the migration governance further attached strict conditionality to legal migration and encourage stricter border policing which undermines respect for human rights and constitutes crime against humanity. The study concluded that these challenges enable traffickers and smugglers to divert migrant’s journey to more precarious routes to Europe.