CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the Study The phrase “giant of Africa” is associated with Nigeria due to its large population which constitutes one-sixth of the continent’s total and also because of its geopolitical significance and the size of its economy. However, the prevalence of extreme poverty in Nigeria and other West African countries functions as a major push factor for different gender migration in the subregion. In 2018, World Poverty Clock reported that Nigeria has more people living in extreme poverty than any other country in the world. Additionally, in the third quarter of 2016, the National Bureau of Statistics NBS, (2016) revealed that the overall unemployment rate had risen to 13.9%, with the different gender unemployment rate having risen to 25% from 24% in 2015. These economic trends, coupled with other variables such as political instability and rising waves of conflict, have led to an increasing number of different gender in certain categories leaving the country for other countries perceived to hold greater promise (Black et al. 2014). The citizens, constitute the largest population in a growing flow of migrants from Global South countries in search of a better life. Much of this movement is in violation of the migration norms1 of destination countries. Defining migration norms as all policies and laws that govern the movement of people from one country to another, this chapter will hereafter refer to movement that contravenes these norms as irregular migration. The terminology to encapsulate irregular migration has undergone critique by various scholars and policy makers over the years (Denzin et al. 2015). Labels such as illegal migration, undocumented migration, unauthorized migration, and clandestine migration are among the many that have been used. According to Denzin et al. (2015), debates arose over different political and ideological viewpoints surrounding these descriptive terms. For instance, Meagher, (2019) criticized the use of “illegal” to qualify migrants for two reasons. First, the term “illegal” connotes criminality, whereas most irregular migrants are not criminals. This was corroborated by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Non-Citizens, which recommended that countries of destination refrain from treating immigrants (even those without valid documents) as criminals Meagher, (2019). Second, defining irregular migrants as illegal would amount to denying their humanity and the rights to which they are entitled, irrespective of their status. Irregular migration occurs outside the regulatory norms of the origin, transit, or destination country and can refer to three groups of migrants: those who arrive in a clandestine fashion (i.e., enter and stay illegally in the considered country), those who arrive legally (for instance, on the basis of tourist or student visas) and then overstay the period for which their visa/ permits are valid, and asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected and who have not left the country as required (Adepoju, 2015). The criminalization of irregular migration involves punishments ranging from imprisonment to outright deportation. Apart from economic push factors, the trend toward the securitization and militarization of borders as a measure to check illegal entry into countries of the Global North has been identified as another major driver of irregular migration. Securitization includes the use of modern security infrastructure, such as the closed-circuit television for surveillance. The continued criminalization of irregular migration is seen as another factor that incentivizes perpetrators to devise means of evading security agents. The migration of the citizen is also precipitated by the recruitment of foreign labor by Global North countries where the twin factors of an aging population and declining birth rate are at play (Faist, 2014). Other pull factors that affect citizens migration, especially at the international level, include prospects for getting a better education, increasing earning power, and improving living conditions through access to better infrastructure and public amenities. The bulk of irregular migration in Nigeria is rampant. Irregular migration can involve acute hardship, such as wilderness trekking and crossing waterways in unsafe vessels. The Mediterranean Sea has become one of the most popular routes for irregular migrants in recent times. In 2016, over 20,000 persons involved in the Mediterranean Sea crossing were reported to be from Nigeria. In addition, in the first quarter of 2017, hundreds of irregular Nigerian migrants were deported from various destinations, in comparison to other countries in sub-Saharan Africa, irregular migrants from Nigeria dominate migration and represent 25.5% of all West African migrants living in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries (Nwalutu, 2016). While the bulk of previous studies have concentrated on trends of irregular migration and factors that motivate it, less attention has been paid to acquiring a socially embedded understanding of the experiences of irregular migrants. This study aims toward closing that gap by contributing to the understanding of how gender sensitive participatory approach can be used for curbing irregular migration in Edo state.