Nigeria, July 17 -- The idea of being told to go back to one's country is not entirely new. It is as old as history. The well-known and touching Biblical story of 'Pharaoh let my people go' (Exodus 5:1) is a many centuries-old catchphrase describing a demand made by Moses and Aaron to King Pharaoh in obedience to God's directive.

There are many instances in history when a large number of people left their countries because conditions (such as war) made it untenable for their survival. Examples of countries where this happened in recent history are Afghanistan, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Palestine, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, and Ukraine. In many other countries, their citizens left to other places due to hostile and discriminatory p...