Mogadishu - The Government of Somalia, the European Union (EU) and IOM, the UN Migration Agency last week (15/03) launched a project to help approximately 1,000 Somali migrants reintegrate, once they have returned home following being stranded in another country. The EU-funded "Reintegration Facility" project will also assist 1,000 Ethiopians to return from Somalia and reintegrate in their home country.

“Helping young Somalis to return home in safety after often horrific migration experiences and then to settle back and contribute to their communities… lies at the heart of this programme,” said Mariam Yassin, Special Envoy for Migrants’ and Children’s Rights.

During the launch, Dyane Epstein, IOM Somalia’s Chief of Mission, said that she was delighted to see that there were participants from so many important organizations present because, “for the programme to be truly effective in supporting returning migrants and their communities, it must be a ‘joint initiative’ between all stakeholders.” She continued by describing how the ‘Joint Initiative’ will be aiming to develop further this essential close co-operation to facilitate safe, humane and dignified Voluntary Return and Reintegration.

"It is our collective responsibility to help those who want to return, not only with assistance to travel home, but also with support to reintegrate them with their host communities," said Anders Djurfeldt from the EU Delegation.

The project will increase the capacities of partner countries and relevant stakeholders to develop or strengthen return and reintegration policies and processes; facilitate safe, humane and dignified assisted voluntary return processes among partner countries; and facilitate sustainable reintegration across three dimensions: successful economic reintegration and strengthened livelihoods, social reintegration and psycho-social reintegration. 

The programme is part of the larger EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration which facilitates orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration management through the development of rights-based and development-focused policies and processes on protection and sustainable reintegration. The EU-IOM Joint Initiative, backed by the EU Trust Fund, covers and has been set up in close cooperation with a total of 26 African countries.

For more information, please contact:

Dyane Epstein at IOM Somalia, Tel: +252 612 777 712, Email: depstein@iom.int

Julia Hartlieb at IOM Somalia, Tel: +254 731 988 846, Email:  jhartlieb@iom.int

Anders Gettou Djurfeldt, EU Delegate to Somalia, Email: delegation-somalia@eeas.europa.eu