Dakar – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) today launched an online toolkit for migrant centre administration and management. The toolkit offers governments and non-government stakeholders key knowledge and resources on how best to set up and manage migrant centres.

This web-based toolkit contains guidance material, tools and design information, with a particular focus on centres established as part of Migrant Resource and Response Mechanisms (MRRMs) in countries transited by migrants.

“Migrants often struggle to access the help they need,” said Yitna Getachew, Head of IOM’s Migrant Assistance and Protection Division. “We are confident that this new toolkit will support governments, international organizations and non-governmental actors in their efforts to improve the protection and assistance to migrants through the establishment of dedicated safe spaces, where migrants can receive appropriate services at the various stages of their migratory journey,” he said.

Located along main migratory corridors, often in remote areas where no other protection services are available, these centres aim to ensure migrants’ human rights are respected and provide basic assistance: from food distribution, to accommodation, medical assistance, psychosocial support and liaison with consular authorities to obtain travel documents.

This integrated and holistic approach includes key logistical support for search and rescue, humanitarian and return operations.

Thirty-eight migrant centres have been established and/or supported under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration programme in the Horn of Africa, North Africa and the Sahel and Lake Chad region in Central Africa. More than 100,480 migrants in vulnerable situations have received assistance since 2017, until the end of August.

The toolkit covers topics under four categories: administration, management of migrant centres, protection and assistance services, and information management and migration data.

The development of the toolkit platform was made possible with support from the EU-IOM Joint Initiative. Launched in December 2016 with funding from the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the Initiative is the first comprehensive programme to save lives, protect and assist migrants along key migration routes in Africa.

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For more information, please contact:

BA Alpha Seydi, Media and Communications Officer, in Dakar, Tel: + 221 764505534, Email: aba@iom.int