The Chadian government has repatriated no fewer than 600 irregular migrants from Nigeria who were found engaging in begging activities in various parts of the country.

Thousands of Nigerian refugees have fled Nigeria’s restive Borno since 2019, at the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency, to take refuge in neighbouring countries of Chad and Cameroon.

Muhammed Barkindo, the director-general of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), disclosed this to journalists on Monday while profiling the refugees in Maiduguri.

Mr Barkindo said the migrants were primarily from Borno, Kano, Sokoto and Kaduna states and had entered Chad without proper documentation.

Mr Barkindo said that many reportedly lived in precarious conditions and resorted to the streets, begging to survive.

He said SEMA provided them with logistics support and necessities, including food and N10,000, as transport before their departure to their respective states.

He noted that many of the migrants expressed the desire to return home due to the hardships they faced.

(NAN)