The students who are seeking help from the Nigerian government lamented that they are being deported on arrival at the airport for establishing contacts with individuals in Southern Cyprus while they are also being forced to pay their tuition fees in pounds while other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).
Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus have cried out over the suffering, inhuman treatment and racial discrimination they are facing in the country.
The students who are seeking help from the Nigerian government lamented that they are being deported on arrival at the airport for establishing contacts with individuals in Southern Cyprus while they are also being forced to pay their tuition fees in pounds while other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).
The students made this known through their representatives under the umbrella of Members of the Nigerian Diaspora Youth Ambassador (MNDYA) when they visited the Chairman/CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, in Abuja.
The four-man delegation team led by the President of the association, Mr. David Alozie, lamented that Nigerian youths are suffering from intense depression as a result of the inhuman treatment meted to them, giving rise to the high rate of suicide amongst them in Northern Cyprus.
According to Alozie, Nigerian students are forced to pay for tuition in pounds whereas other foreign students pay in Turkish Lira (TL).
He noted that "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus is not the best place to study, as majority of the institutions there are not recognised by the European Union (EU) or any country in the world."
He therefore told the NiDCOM boss that the purpose of the visit to the commission was to appeal for quick intervention on the plight of Nigerian students in Northern Cyprus, adding that Nigerian students were being racially profiled and deported on arrival at the airport for establishing contact with any individual in Southern Cyprus.
Alozie and his team expressed willingness to collaborate with the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission and other relevant agencies to create more awareness on challenges Nigerian youths are facing in Northern Cyprus.
Responding to the association's appeal, Dabiri-Erewa said that Northern Cyprus is becoming a dangerous transit route for migrants.
The NiDCOM Chairman noted that the country is not recognised by any country in the world except Turkey.
She pointed out that there is the need for further awareness to sensitise Nigerian youths who are living their country with the hope of better education.