By Ibironke Ariyo
The Journalist International Forum for Migration (JIFORM) and stakeholders have condemned the incessant attacks on African Migrants in the Middle East.

The President, JIFORM, Mr Ajibola Abayomi, said this at the African Migration Summit organised by JIFORM and Nekotech Centre of Excellence, on Thursday in Accra, Ghana.

Abayomi said that the agony of several African migrants in the Middle East being enslaved under the Kafala System was an open secret that manifested in Lebanon, Yemen, Omani, Saudi Arabia and others.

He said that undue hostilities among Africans and leaders must stop, saying that implementation of African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) and policies needed to accelerate it must be put in place.

He recalled the xenophobia attack as witnessed in South Africa sometimes ago, saying that such should never rear its ugly head again.

“If fellow black brothers continue to attack themselves back at home, what moral justification do we have to protest racism in the other parts of the world?

“Time has come for various regional economies on this continent to evolve strategic policies to allow free access and trade for the purpose of growth,” he said.

Abayomi urged the media to hold the leaders accountable to the people, saying that fate has placed tools in hands of media practitioners to challenge institutions and authorities to serve the people better by writing objective and balanced stories.

“Above all, we must cover migration with a human face by encouraging the government to take re-integration of returnees more seriously by providing psychological, mental and social support to reunite them with their loved ones.

“They are not failures because they made an attempt to reject poverty.

“Journalists must provide the right information to encourage the people to embrace regular migration entirely as there is a lot to gain from it, ” he said.