Human Rights Monitors and Civil Society Organizations (CSOS) have urged African leaders to guarantee inclusive and efficient government in order to enhance the quality of life for their people and shield them from violations of human rights.
Armsfree Ajanaku, the director general of the Grassroots Centre for Rights & Civic Orientation and the coalition’s convener, stated during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday that all acceptable and lawful measures should be taken to alleviate the situation of immigrants who are being forcibly deported.
According to Ajanaku, the arbitrary deportations of immigrants from the United States have been linked to a number of human rights violations. These widespread deportations frequently violate the fundamental human rights of immigrants, many of whom are Africans or people of African descent.
While we do not advocate for a nation to conduct its affairs in any way it sees fit, we are concerned about activities that compromise civilized values, rights, and dignity. We have witnessed horrifying scenes of raids on immigrant homes and mass arrests conducted as part of the immigration crackdown.
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“Parents have been forcibly removed and placed in detention facilities, tearing families apart.” People who are trying to escape war zones and political oppression have been hounded for doing so. “These actions violate the rights of migrants and asylum seekers while denying them the chance to request safety and security from a nation that prides itself on upholding democracy and human rights,” he said.
The organizer of Human Rights Monitors emphasized that governments must establish efficient mechanisms to assist and stated that African nations have a major role to play in tackling the difficulties Nigerians and other Africans in the Diaspora confront.
African governments have greatly profited from diaspora remittances, he added, in addition to the fact that many of the people hounded are immigrants from Africa.
Given that many of these fellow citizens are currently facing difficulties, Ajanaku noted that Nigerians in the United States alone reportedly contributed $6 billion in remittances home in 2020. He said that governments throughout the continent need to set up mechanisms to assist these individuals.
In accordance with both US and international law, he noted, refugees and immigrants seeking asylum are legally present in the United States due to several stated provisions of international and local legislation. For entering without a visa, they should not be labeled criminals under any pretext.
For those who have been awarded Temporary Protected Status (TPS) by Presidential Order, this statement is equally true. Haitians, Venezuelans, Cubans, Salvadorans, Nigerians, Kenyans, Ethiopians, Ghanaians, Senegalese, and others escaping dictatorship, war, starvation, and egregious human rights abuses are among them.
In our response to the UN Human Rights Council, we emphasized that the situation of immigrants who are subject to arbitrary and coerced deportations should be addressed through all legal and appropriate means. We demand active participation from national and international organizations in the lives of people impacted. Human rights experts, civic society, refugee-focused organizations, and UN agencies are urged by this coalition to offer the assistance and knowledge necessary for the immediate advancement of human rights.
The battle against discriminatory and coerced deportations should be a group effort since the rights of immigrants are human rights. It is crucial that African leaders maintain inclusive and efficient governance to improve the lives of their people in the face of nationalism, isolationism, and disrespect for international standards, Ajanaku continued.
