Bolaji Jimoh 
The Belgian government has warned Nigerian migrants in Belgium and those who are considering escaping to Europe in pursuit of greener pastures, to think twice because Nigerians are engaged in forced prostitution in the European country.
He issued the warning on Friday through Freddy Roosemont, the Director-General of the Belgian Office for Foreigners, during a news conference in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He emphasised that contrary to popular belief, Europe, particularly Belgium, is not a “land of milk and honey.”
He claims that Nigeria leads Belgium in the number of persons coerced into prostitution, frequently after being enticed there with untrue claims of employment prospects.
He said, “The dream is not real; it’s not easy to survive in Europe without a decent job. The dream is fake.
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“Belgium is not the land of milk and honey, nor is Europe. This was not the case before, but is even less so now, in a world with many crisis hotspots with severe economic consequences.”
Rosemont also voiced alarm over the growing number of Nigerians applying for refuge in Belgium, many of whom are turned away and left to live in poverty and without access to social safety nets.
Rosemont added that only a small percentage of the 362 Nigerian migrants who filed for asylum in 2022 and 380 who did so in 2023 were successful in their applications.
He said “Asylum is determined on the basis of the Geneva Convention and economic motives are not included.
“Therefore the recognition rate for asylum is very low and the chances of obtaining a residence permit are almost non-existent.
“As a consequence, people are forced to live in irregular stay, without a social safety net, in precarious conditions. They risk economic exploitation and women risk ending up in prostitution.”
