By Wisdom Deji-Folutile
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has raised the alarm concerning the plight of Nigerian Students in Northern Cyprus, advising those seeking foreign education to shun the de facto Island state.
In a statement titled ‘Nigerian Students in Northern Cyprus Cry out for Help’, released in Abuja on Wednesday, members of the Nigerian Diaspora Youth Ambassador (NDYA) said that Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus were suffering inhumane treatment.
According to the statement signed by Mr Gabriel Odu from the Media, Public Relations and Protocols Unit of NIDCOM, some Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus had been racially abused and suffered prejudiced treatment in the form of profiling, with some being deported on arrival for contacting individuals in Southern Cyprus.
The President of the NDYA, Mr David Alozie, led a delegation to NIDCOM on Tuesday “to appeal for quick intervention” for Nigerian students in Cyprus.
According to Alozie, one of the frustrating issues was that Nigerian students are forced to pay for tuition in Pounds whereas other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).
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“The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not the best place to study, as majority of the institutions there are not recognized by the European Union (EU) or any country in the world,” Alozie said.
Note that Northern Cyprus, officially the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, comprises the northeastern portion of the island of Cyprus. The de facto state is recognised only by the Republic of Turkey.
Nigeria and other countries do not have an Embassy there, making it difficult to take up the case with the United Nations or European Union.
The Chairman of NIDCOM, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said Northern Cyprus is becoming “dangerous for migrants” and discouraged Nigerians seeking foreign education from towing the route.
Hon. (Dr) Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chairman/CEO, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, (NiDCOM), advised that Northern Cyprus is becoming a dangerous transit route for migrants, stressing that the country is not recognized by any country in the world except Turkey.
“The team has a bigger job to do in creating awareness for youths in Nigeria as it is better to stay in your country alive than risk your life in going to a country where uncountable and unresolved cases of young Nigerians have been and are still being recorded,” Dabiri-Erewa said.
The NIDCOM boss said the commission would continue to work with relevant agencies like the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and the Parent Ministry of Foreign Affairs to address the issues facing students in northern Cyprus.
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