IOM, with support from the European Commission's Humanitarian Aid
Office (ECHO), has begun the return and reintegration of the nearly
5,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Metinaro camp near
Dili.

The returns from the camp, the largest and most complex in the
country, mark a major milestone in Timor-Leste's recovery from the
2006 civil unrest, which displaced some 150,000 people, most of
whom sought refuge in over 65 IDP camps in and around Dili.

IOM helped to establish Metinaro in 2006 and subsequently
provided day-to-day camp management, as well as logistical support
to the government, which led a coordinated effort to manage the IDP
crisis.

IOM also undertook extensive dialogue, mediation and monitoring
activities in communities to which IDPs returned, in order to
facilitate their peaceful and sustainable reintegration.

"The return and reintegration of the IDPs from Metinaro
symbolizes the end of the mass displacement resulting from the 2006
unrest and is a major step forward in the country's recovery
process," says IOM Chief of Mission Luiz Vieira. 

"But the camp's closure will only be the first step in a much
longer reconciliation process that will continue to require the
engagement of the international community," he adds.

For more information, please contact:

Brad Mellicker

IOM Dili

Tel. +670.735.1998

E-mail: "mailto:bmellicker@iom.int">bmellicker@iom.int