LEGAL STATUS OF REFUGEES IN NIGERIA

Nigeria is one of the few West African countries, which has given shelter to a large number of refugees from neighbouring countries. Since independence, Nigeria has experienced minor and major influxes of refugees. Nigeria before 1989 was confronted with the tasks of assistance, care and protection of refugees according to regional’ and international standards.” Finally, in the 1989 the enactment of legislation or the Decree’ led to refugees protection and treatment in line with internationally recognised principles. From time immemorial people - individually, in family groups, or as a community, moved from one state to another. For some, the movements or transfrontier movements of people had been voluntary either for spread of culture and religion, or for pilgrimage, growth of trade and commerce, or for development of governmental relations, including foreign policies, etc. Whilst, for many others, they are due to the circumtances beyond their control like persecution or the perception of persecuuion, famine, drought, civil wars, external aggression, foreign domination, ethnic conflicts and terrorism‘ etc. The reasons behind the flight of refugees may be many” but in the final analysis they are attributable either to the actions of man, or natural environmental disasters. Whatever may be causes the African continent harbours thirty percent of the world's 20 million refugees,” but the burden of caring and protection of refugees is disproportionate among African countries