International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume VI, Issue VII, July 2022 | ISSN 2454–6186
When The Pasture Is Greenless: Nigeria, Libya and the Return of Slave Trade in Africa
Akpan, Nse Etim, Ph.D1, Nnorom, Kingsley, Ph.D2
1Department of Political Science, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria
2Department of Sociology, Federal University Wukari, Taraba State, Nigeria
Abstract: There has been a serious apprehension about Nigerian youths leaving the country in search of the proverbial greener pastures. Similarly, a fundamental shift in migration patterns occurred when the routes through Libya, long used by economic migrants making their way to Europe, became formalized as highway for modern slave trade. This paper adopts a qualitative research design with reliance on secondary sources of data and argues that Nigerians have been trafficked into slavery either in the transit country as Libya or the country of destination mostly in Europe. It observed that there seem to be a failure of expectations from Nigerians who on arrival in these countries realize that the pasture is no longer green as they are sold out as slaves, used for sex labor or thrown into torture chambers on accusation of irregular migration. The paper discovers that there are syndicates and cartels responsible for this illicit trade while a lot of money is made through the conduits used to lure these youths into the illegal business. It equally uncovers that a mere securitization of migration through fences and push-backs will not stop the flow of Nigerians as the Libyan economy seems to benefit from the money made from irregular migrants. The paper concludes that there is need for proper collaboration and intensification of action by the Nigerian and Libyan governments to arrest this ugly trend.
Key Words: Greener pasture, Slave trade, Irregular migration, Trafficking, Nigeria, Libya.
I.INTRODUCTION
The drive for survival and for greener pastures has continued to force millions of West African young men and women to gamble with death in attempts to cross over to Europe and other parts of the world. This quest to escape poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity among other reasons at all cost, have caused a major segment of Nigeria’s population to seek alternatives for better livelihood prospects for themselves and their families (UNODC, n.d.:1). Those seeking economic survival see irregular migration as the best alternative, given the difficulty and resources involved in migrating through regular and legitimate routes. In many instances, very few of the original number who set out on these dangerous journeys live to tell their stories. While many regularly drown in the Mediterranean Sea, many also die in the desert, and others are sold as slaves in a modern and emerging slave market. Most of the victims of this trade are from West Africa.
Many of them leave home with expectations of getting to Europe and other destinations perceived to have better economic prospects for them, but end up in the slave merchants net in North Africa. The victims are put in camps and sold in open markets in Libya, while the international community watches in silence. The geographical location of Libya renders it a transit route for migrants journeying to Italy and many other parts of Europe. The migration crisis in Libya and its attendant consequences have been made more possible