WETIN CONCERN LAWYER WITH REFUGEE MIGRANTS AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS?

Interesting title, huh? Can you believe that a lawyer wrote that? Yes, an actual gone to law school, passed the bar exams, and called to the bar, lawyer. I say it’s disgraceful.

It’s common knowledge for us lawyers that there is hardly any… no, there is absolutely no aspect of life and society that law does not entail. I stand by that. Law covers everything. I mean even the most “archaic” of norms and social concepts are engulfed into an aspect of law – customary law. No, seriously, you’ll think you know half there is to know about law then you find something that is Greek to you and it’s fascinating all over again. That’s one of my favourite things about law.

Anyway, my colleague at the bar (forgive me, but I’m ashamed to say), laughs at the idea that there’s a link between law, refugee migrants and internally displaced persons. Yes, there was a laughing emoji I refuse to include in the title. Like I said, one cannot know all there is to law. Granted. But it takes simple legal reasoning to be able to point out where there is law. Spoiler alert, there always is. Or even simpler, a google search will save you from embarrassing yourself. Come on. When I read that post, the first thing that came to mind is Humanitarian Law. It’s easy. If you know what the terms “refugee” and “IDPs” mean, you’ll know that we’re talking about the consequences and casualties of wars and insurgencies, and even natural disasters. And what branch of law deals there? Humanitarian Law. Then I looked it up and it turns out, there’s at least four aspects of law involved with the topic of refugee migrants and IDPs – International Human Rights Law, (I mean, that’s a no-brainer. Human rights cover most of it), Humanitarian Law, Migration Law, and Refugee Law. I wasn’t really familiar with Refugee Law, but we learn every day. And it really only takes an internet search. You won't even have to click a link or be redirected to a site, Google has AI. So the very first thing you'll see will be the solution to your incompetence.

Come to think of it. These are not ordinary everyday terms. “refugee”, “migrants” and “internally displaced persons”?? These are not words we use regularly. And I feel like where there is complexity, there is law. Let me phrase that better – when it involves something that carries weight or could be an entire topic of discussion, it most likely has law involved. I mean, if there is such a thing as Entertainment, and Sports Law, there most definitely is Refugee, and Migration Law. It’s just common sense. Bringing it to grade school level and assuming that you don't know what a refugee is, what comes to mind when you hear the simple words "internally", "displaced", and "persons" as a lawyer?! The most basic deduction there is that the human rights of said persons are being breached in some way, for crying out loud! Human Rights!!! Something so basic yet so fundamental to the Legal Profession! Please understand why I'm so baffled by this shocking display of ignorance. Nigeria even has the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons Act (2022), for goodness' sake, and you ask how the subject is relevant to law? Do your research before you come out here looking stupid.

To my colleague who posted that… I really hope it was meant as a joke or sarcasm (if indeed it was, then take this as for educational purposes only, thank you). Otherwise, I won’t know what to say to you, other than that I'm genuinely concerned. Legal reasoning and research are core skills that ought to have been learned, if not mastered during the course of study. The fact that you, a fully fledged lawyer can publicly and so ignorantly dismiss a subject so relevant is truly disgraceful and misleading. I hope that someone enlightens you, or you just do some research to educate yourself, so you don’t lead lay-men astray.