Muhammad Babandede, comptroller-general of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), says the service is planning to limit job opportunities available to foreigners in the country.
According to NAN, Babandede spoke when he paid a courtesy visit to Abdulmuminu Kabir-Usman, Emir of Katsina, on Tuesday.
He said the influx of foreign nationals into the country has made them “occupy most of the job opportunities available to Nigerians”.
“Therefore, we are going to limit the kind of jobs those foreign nationals can be engaged in. By doing such, Nigerians can get more job opportunities,” he added.
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Babandede said he was at the palace to seek the emir’s blessings and see how NIS could also collaborate with the traditional institutions in identifying the foreign nationals who had stayed in the country beyond their official residence permit.
He added that efforts by the immigration to collaborate with the traditional rulers would ensure serious management of the country’s security.
“Border management strategy cannot be achieved without the involvement of the traditional rulers. They are the ones that can identify any strange persons in their domains,” he said.
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“Therefore, Your Highness, I beg for your support to make sure anyone travelling out of the country or coming in must-have travel documents.
“Non-implementation of the ECOWAS protocols is a major challenge we have at our borders. Hence, we are going to make sure that we enforce the protocols.”
Responding, the emir said the decision to engage the traditional rulers is a welcome development and assured Babandede of his support.
According to him, the traditional rulers, especially the village heads, ward heads and district heads have vital roles to play in identifying foreign nationals that had stayed for long and those coming into their domains illegally.
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He explained that if they were engaged, it would also assist both the traditional rulers and the government on how to manage security issues in their communities.
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