The Ministry of Interior is set to launch a new Immigration Regulations on Monday to ensure better security and Immigration in the country.

Spokesman for the Nigeria Immigration Service, NIS, Sunday James, said this during an interview on Saturday in Abuja.

James said that the new Immigration Regulations, 2017 which will be launched by the Interior Minister, Abdulrahman Dambazzau, is a vital document that will give legal backing to the implementation of the Immigration Act, 2015.

He said: “The honourable Minister of Interior, Lt.-Gen. Abdulrahman Dambazau, (retired) will officially present the Immigration Regulations 2017 to the public on Monday, March, 20, 2017.

“The Immigration Regulations 2017 is a vital document that operationalizes the Immigration Act 2015 and provides the legal framework for the effective implementation of the Act,” he said.

The NIS spokesman further explained that wide consultation was carried out before the new immigration regulation came to be and there were inputs from various legal and migratory experts, including serving and retired immigration officers.

He expressed optimism that the document, if properly implemented, would go a long way in transforming the operations of NIS in line with international best practices.

‎The News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, reports that the Immigration Act, 2015 contains updated structure and functions of the NIS in relation to immigration, passports, deportation, visas, resident permits and general immigration offences.

The Act also gives effect in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to the provisions of the protocol against the smuggling of migrants by land, sea, air which supplements the UN Convention Against Transitional Organised Crime.

It was enacted by the National Assembly in May, 2015.