To commemorate the International Migrants Day under this years’ call “It’s Time to Take Action and Save Lives of Migrants Caught in Crisis”, in Chad, a country that is affected by influxes of hundreds of thousands of Returnees, Refugees, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), IOM organized a ceremony under the auspices of H.E. Mr. Kalzeube Payimi Deubet, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Chad in N’Djamena on 18 December 2013.

From 2011, IOM sustains the Government efforts to address Migration Challenges related to massive influxes of Chadian Returnees fleeing insecurities in the neighboring countries and Internally Displaced Persons due to floods. The Libyan Crisis has caused the return of more than 150,000; the inter-community conflicts in Sudan have forced 25,000 Chadian Migrants to return to Chad this year; the clashes between the Boko Haram elements and the Nigerian Military in Nigeria have forced the return home of more than 10,000 Chadian Migrants; the current insecurity in the Central African Republic (CAR) is causing massive displacement of population internally and externally including the Chadian Migrants; the forced return of Irregular Migrants in Saudi Arabia will not spare the hundreds of thousands of Chadian Migrants that are there for decades.

IOM interventions for Returnees go beyond the emergency phase and accompany them during their entire process of reintegration through community reintegration, stabilization and peace building projects in Chad.

On the developmental angle, IOM together with the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) in Chad assist the Government to implement the pilot project on the Return of Chadian Qualified Migrants from France to strengthen the Health and Higher Education sectors.

At sub-regional level, IOM is establishing the Migration Dialogue for the Central African States (MIDCAS) which is a regular inter-states consultative mechanism to jointly address Migration challenges.

Finally and as part of the 2014 work plan, IOM will roll-out the Migration Crisis operational Framework (MCOF) in Chad, a solid and practical tool for the both the Government and the International Community to respond to Migration challenges in the country.  

The Secretary of State of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the Chadian Diaspora, H.E. Ms. Housna Isabelle Kassire who read the “discours” of the Prime Minister in the event, has  profoundly thanked IOM for its assistance to the Republic of Chad and made the following Government engagements in the domain of migration:

1. The Government has allocated 15 Billion XAF (circa 30,000,000 USD) for the National Plan for Development (NPD) on Migration for 2014 -2015;
2. The Republic of Chad will host the MIDCAS meeting for the Central African States in N’Djamena during the first trimester of 2014 and
3. The Republic of Chad has reconfirmed its support on the roll-out of the MCOF in the country.

High Government Authorities and International Community participated in the celebration of this year International Migrants Day in Chad that was attended by the IOM Regional Representative for West and Central Africa, Ms. Carmela GODEAU.

Contact:

Dr. Qasim Sufi
Chief of Mission, IOM Chad
Tel.: +235 22 52 53 59/60 (Ext. 111)
Mobile: +235 62 90 06 74
Fax: +235 22 52 53 61
Email: qsufi@iom.int