FG, stakeholders begin review of SOP to address statelessness 

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons (NCRFMI) and other stakeholders have commenced the review of the draft Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for statelessness Status Determination (SSD).

The Federal Commissioner for NCRFMI, Imaan Sulaiman–Ibrahim, …The Honourable Federal Commission of NCFRMI, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, at the event to review the SOP on Tuesday in Abuja, stressed the need to strengthen the instrument for statelessness determination.

The Review was organised by the NCFRMI and supported by United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).

“At the end of the three-Day Review of the SOP statelessness determination, we will be able to come up with a document that would be approve by Federal Executive Council.

“In Nigeria, we have started activities. We have composition of mixed movement around our migration dynamics and with a lot of people at the risk of becoming stateless.

“So the National Action Plan (NAP) and Review of the SOP will help us in addressing those issues of people that are at risk of becoming stateless. Usually these rights are for Refugees and people that are displaced.

“We would like to consider their priority. It is very important we note that when displacement happens, within the camps and resettlement, children are being born.

“So, we will look at our priorities. Every stakeholder within that governance structure is here; this will ensure that we all have a voice and come out with a holistic document that would be operationalised,”

Sulaiman-Ibrahim said.

Also speaking at the event, Ms Chancer Kapaya the UNCHR Representative in Nigeria, represented by Senior Protection Officer of UNHCR in Abuja, Mwihaki Kinyanjui, said Nigeria inaugurated NAP on Sept. 2.

“On Action 5 of the property areas is the need to ensure the protection of stateless persons and migrants.

“During the three days, we will try to identify a stateless person in Nigeria, especially those who have lived in Nigeria for a long time.

“Possibly, there are long-term migrants, or persons born in Nigeria who knows that Nigeria is their country but have no documentation to be able to process and justify their nationality as Nigerians.

“So, the process of identification and referral continues to be to the relevant agencies that will take the right action to ensure that these persons’ rights are protected,”

Kinyanjui said.