From: barnhart@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Mr. Aaron Barnhart)
Subject: IPS:NIGERIA: GROWING CONCERN OVER RACIAL VIOLENCE IN EUROPE
Date: Sat, 19 Dec 1992 17:43:17 GMT
Organization: Evanston, Illinois, U.S.A.

Copyright Inter Press Service 1992, all rights reserved.  Permission to re-
print within 7 days of original date only with permission from 'newsdesk'.

Reference: Europe, western
Title: NIGERIA: GROWING CONCERN OVER RACIAL VIOLENCE IN EUROPE


an inter press service feature

by kole babalola

lagos, dec 10 (ips) -- the spate of violence against foreigners
and africans in particular in some parts of europe is generating
serious concern in this west african country.

according to raheem adeleye, a lagos state legislator, the
number of nigerians living in europe is in millions when both
legal and illegal immigrants are taken into consideration.

''at least 75,000 nigerians have sought visas to britain
every year since 1990 while about 95,000 to 100,000 nigerians
entered the country as visitors from different parts of the
world during the same period'', says douglas mcadam, of the
british high commission here.

mcadam says young people from low income families are
increasingly interested in going to britain. he points out that
70 to 100 nigerians are detained as illegal immigrants every
month.

''our records show conclusively that this category, more than
any other, tends not to return to nigeria at the end of their
stay in britain but to stay on illegally'', says macadam.

''although the number of nigerian illegal entrants in the
u.k. is not known, there may be well over 100,000''.

according to chidi odinkalu of the civil liberties
organisation, a human rights body, ''the economic situation in
nigeria has forced many citizens to flee and become aliens in
other lands''.

odinkalu believes that unless serious efforts are made to
stem the economic misfortune of nigeria, its people will
continue to be killed, maimed and humiliated in foreign
countries as is happening in europe.

he recalled the recent ''disaster that befell nigerians in
gabon'' where thousands were deported without warning and said
''if fellow african countries are doing it to us, why not the
whites, who are racists, anyway''. (more/ips)


nigeria: growing (2)

but ayo akinbobola of the social science department of the
university of lagos believes that as long as nigerians
prefer to stay away from home, they will be subjected to the
kind of raging violence obtaining in europe.

on many occasions, the nigerian government has appealed to
nigerians to stay home and make the best of the opportunities in
their country instead of going overseas, where they slave to
live.

but nigerians continue to believe that the grass is greener
on the other side of the fence.

james chukwuka, who spoke to ips here wednesday, while
seeking a visa to ''visit'' germany, says he just wants to go
and work for a few months and make some money to start a small
business on his return.

thomas steinberg, german embassy spokesperson, told ips that
although the german government detested the violence and efforts
were being made to make the lives of aliens, including nigerians
safe, more and more foreigners continue to seek asylum in the
the country.

however, steinberg says ''the largest share of asylum seekers
continues to come from the european countries, especially
yugoslavia, rising from 52.6 percent in 1990 to 65.1 percent
last year''.

according to him, of the 512,000 asylum seekers in western
europe in 1991, more than 256,000 were in germany.

steinberg says the german government nov. 20 adopted a
series of measures directed against perpetrators of xenophobic
and anti-semitic violence with a view to improving police
options for dealing with young right-wing extremists.

oji umozurike, professor of law and former chair of the
organisation of african unity (oau's) african commission on
human and people's rights, says the issue of violence against
foreigners is regrettable and has advised the nigerian
government to find a way to ensure the safety of nigerians
affected.

he says the issue is beyond the jurisdiction of the
commission because it can only act on matters within the
continent. (end/ips/kb/tvh/92)