An IOM information campaign in Sudan on the risks of irregular
migration has been launched as part of a broader effort to tackle
key migration issues in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

The campaign, which will target seven states in eastern Sudan,
will be implemented as part of an Intergovernmental Authority on
Development (IGAD) programme to address gaps in migration
management in the IGAD region. It aims to inform irregular migrants
and potential migrants of the risks they face on their journey to
Europe and the Middle East.

With more than 7,600 kms of land borders, 853 kms of coastline
and nine neighbours, Sudan lies in the middle of the East African
route to the Mediterranean. It is one of the three main routes used
by mainly Ethiopian, Eritrean and Somali irregular migrants en
route to Europe via Libya and Egypt as they seek to escape poverty,
conflict and increasing environmental degradation at home.

Sudan is also a country of origin and destination for irregular
migrants. More than 100,000 refugees from the Horn of Africa are
currently being hosted in camps in Khartoum, Gedaref, Red Sea,
Kassala, El Gezira, Sennar and Blue Nile states, with the camps
recognized as a source and transit point for flows of both
asylum-seekers and economic migrants to, within and through
Sudan.

Sudanese nationals seeking a new life abroad using irregular
means can often become stranded in transit. All irregular migrants
are vulnerable to human trafficking and abuse during their journey,
often because of a lack of knowledge about what the journey will
actually entail.

Posters and flyers with information and advice are being
distributed in Arabic, Amharic and Tigrinya in the seven states.
Dialogues are also being held with community leaders in the
camps.  The campaign, funded by the European Commission, is
also using radio and other means to reach irregular migrants and
potential Sudanese migrants with materials based on true-life
stories designed to target specific ethnic groups, cultures and
motives for migrating.

As well as highlighting the risks of irregular migration,
campaign materials will inform migrants and potential migrants on
the requirements and opportunities for regular migration. This will
include information about how to obtain travel documents, work
permits and visas, and and about the immigration laws of host
countries.

Implemented in collaboration with the Immigration and Passport
Department of the Ministry of Interior and the Sudanese Commission
for Refugees, the campaign is a step towards a more established
response to combating human smuggling and human trafficking in the
country by building the government's capacities on migration
issues.

For further information, please contact:

Raluca Raduta

IOM Sudan

Tel: +249 183 57 08 01 (ext. 223)

       +249 (0) 922 406 671

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