Seun Bisuga
FILE PHOTO: Stephanie, a migrant from Nigeria poses with her daughter Francesca Marina, dubbed “the princess of migrants”, after she was born during an Italian rescue operation off the coast of Sicily (AFP Photo/Giovanni Isolino)
Nigeria has been listed among the top five migrant countries to Europe. The most populous black nation in the world is only behind Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Eritrea.
According to the European Commission, three million migrants who are fleeing war and poverty are expected to enter the EU by 2017, a development likely to have a marginal positive impact on the economy of the continent.
Syria accounts for 53 per cent of the migrants and is followed by Afghanistan with 18 per cent while Iraq who is placed third accounts for six per cent.
Most of the migrants from these countries are fleeing the war in their countries but the story of Eritrea who accounts for five per cent of migrants and that of Nigeria which is three per cent can be put down to poverty, conflicts and abuses.
EU economic commissioner Pierre Moscovici believes that the influx of migrants could boost gross domestic product by 0.2 to 0.3 percent.
He said the “weak but positive” economic effect of the migrants could help offset growing hostility towards them.
“It means you can’t say the influx of refugees is likely to have a negative impact or kicking people out of the labour market,” Moscovici said, unveiling the Commission’s autumn economic forecast.
Migrants wait in Catania harbour after being rescued by the Italian coast guard on August 26, 2015 while as 50 bodies were found in the hold of a boat heading for Italy (AFP Photo/Dario Azzaro)
“That will combat a certain number of received ideas and backs the politics of President (Jean-Claude) Juncker,” who has pushed for the EU to do more to help …Read More
Source:: PM Newspaper
