According to de International Organization for Migration (IOM), a waka abroad persin na “any persin who dey move or don move across an international border or within a State wey dey away from his/her place wey im dey live normally.” A persin wey fit dis description dey considered as a waka abroad persin no mata wetin be deir legal status and weda dem choose freely to waka abroad or not. De cause of deir movement no dey relevant.

An irregular waka abroad persin na persin wey enter a country without de correct paper to travel or valid visa. To avoid make dem arrest dem or return dem to deir country of origin, an irregular waka persin usually dey enta de country without going thru all de official border checks.

On de oda hand, a legal waka abroad persin na someone wey enter de country wit all de valid travel papers, including visa and oda relevant permits (for work, residency, studies, etc.). when a waka abroad persin show dese documents for de border and dey permitted to enter by border management officials, dem be legal waka abroad persin.

An asylum seeker be persin who don komot deir own country due to persecution or serious harm and dey apply for international protection and refugee status for anoda country.

Asylum seekers dey protected by de 1951 UN Refugee Convention. De Convention talk say even if dem arrive for de kountry irregularly, an asylum seeker must be given access to fair and asylum procedures and measures wey dey efficient so dat dem fit live safely while dem dey process deir claims.

If an asylum seeker’s application dey rejected, dem go have to leave de country, as will any irregular waka abroad persin wey dem no give permission to stay for oda reasons.

Refugees be pipu who dey run from war or persecution. An asylum seeker go become a refugee if dem accept deir application for asylum dey accepted, meaning say dem grant dem asylum. To be accepted as a refugee, dem must show say dem dey unda serious threat of persecution or serious harm for deir country ontop race, religion, nationality or affiliations. Refugee go be allowed to stay for some time for de kountry wey give dem asylum. Refugees get right to international protection.

While asylum seekers and refugees don run komot from deir country to avoid persecution, economic waka abroad pipu don travel komot to anoda country to imrove deir life. If dem travel to anoda country irregularly, economic waka abroad pipu fit get arrested and dem go send dem home. Economic waka abroad pipu no dey eligible for asylum unda de 1951 UN Refugee Convention.

An internally displaced person (IDP) na individual who dem don force to run from deir home area to anoda area within de internationally recognised borders of deir country. Usually, internal displacement na because of war, human rights violations or a disaster (natural or human-made).

De words unaccompanied minors, shaid waka abroad persin, unaccompanied waka abroad shidren and juvenile waka abroad pipu dey often used for one anoda and dey generally talk about waka abroad pipu wey dey unda de age of 18 and wey no dey unda de care of a parent or legal guardian. De UN Convention on de Rights of de Child talk say a child na a “human being below de age of 18”.

Border management dey talk about all policies, laws and oda public measures wey dey help or limit authorised waka abroad (business, work, studies, family reunification, asylum, etc) and oda movements of pipu (tourism, family visits, short-term work and business visits, etc.) into a country. Border management officials dey try to find and stop irregular entries into de kountry.

Human trafficking na wen a persin dey moved illegally within a country or across borders for say dem wan use dem. A persin dey considered as a victim of human trafficking if dem don dey threatened, forced, kidnapped, deceived, abused or promised payment and benefits by deir trafficker.

Smuggling refer completely to de action of helping pipu make dem move illegally across borders and no necessarily dey with abuse, force or abuse. Smugglers, de pipu who get de business to arrange irregular border crossing, na criminals.

Someone’s country of origin na de state where dem dey usually live, weda dem be a national or a resident of dat country.

Transit kountries na dose wey waka abroad pipu dey pass thru while dem dey on deir waka to deir destination country. Dem fit stay for a transit country for days, months or years, sometimes neva reaching deir expected destination.

A destination country na where de waka abroad pipu intend to end deir waka and settle. Many waka abroad pipu no dey reach deir destination country, settling for transit country or dem dey return to deir country of origin instead.

So if someone comot from deir home for Nigeria and travel overland to try to settle for Italy, dem fit have to pass thru Niger and Libya before dem cross de Mediterranean Sea to Italy. In dat example de waka abroad persin’s country of origin na Nigeria, deir destination country na Italy, and Niger and Libya na de transit kountries.

A returnee na someone who don return to deir country of origin afta dem don waka abroad. Return fit be voluntary or forced.

A voluntary return na de retun of a waka broad persin to deir country of origin or anoda country based on de free will of de returnee. Voluntary return fit be assisted or independent. Assisted voluntary return dey involve administrative, logistical, financial and reintegration support for waka abroad pipu wey wan come back home.

A forced return na de compulsory return of a person to deir country of origin or to a third country. A forced return na de tin wey happen because of an administrative or judicial act. Deportation and removals na forms of forced return.

Repatriation na de personal right of a refugee, prisoner of war or a civil detainee to return to deir country where dem come from unda some circumstance. It dey also cover de return of waka abroad persins and international officials for times of international crisis. For Naija waka abroad persin for Europe, repatriation go mean returning home to Nigeria.

Resettlement na de relocation and integration of a waka abroad persin into anoda area, usually for inside a third country, in order to protect dem from direct threat and persecution. De country where dem resettle go usually give dem long-term resident rights.