N’Djamena – Last week (26-28 July), the Government of the Republic of Chad, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad, held a national consultation to assess migration governance at the national level. This national consultation, which brought together over 40 participants from Government institutions and civil society, including representatives of migrant associations, provided actors with the opportunity, through six thematic roundtables, to discuss priorities of the future migration governance architecture in Chad, identify existing gaps and develop concrete actions to address these gaps.

In his opening speech, the Deputy Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Integration and Chadians Abroad, Mr. Yohana Kokosso, highlighted the importance of migration for Chad and the relevance of conducting a consultation as the country is faced with increasing migration dynamics. “The national consultation has been conducted at a time when our country is facing an unprecedented humanitarian situation. Chad has now recorded over one million people in forced displacement. [...] All these people have specific needs pertaining to food security, multisectoral responses, nutrition, education, health, protection, shelter, household items, water, hygiene and sanitation, which amount to more than US$ 510.9 million,” he recalled.

Chad, a vast landlocked country in Central Africa, is subject to various migration dynamics. Across the country, migratory movements appear in different forms, including forced migration, labour migration, transhumance, youth emigration, rural exodus, among others.

Since 2019, with the increased and diversified migration patterns, Chad, “Champion Country” for the implementation of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration, has intensified its actions for a better management of movements of people through its territory. Thus, on 14 December 2021, the country launched the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) to assess the comprehensiveness of its migration policies and identify gaps and areas that could be strengthened.

Through the MGI tool, Chad has identified as priorities the fight against trafficking in persons, sustainable solutions to forced migration including migration caused by climate change, engagement with the diaspora, protection of migrant workers and their family members, and management of return migration. “This consultation marks a turning point for Chad. The Migration Governance Indicators process is just a tool and I hope it will serve as a basis to ensure that migration in Chad is conducted in a safe, orderly and regular manner for the benefit of all,” said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, Chief of Mission of IOM in Chad.

Among the consultation’s recommendations, participants stressed the need to strengthen intergovernmental coordination and partnerships, namely with international agencies and the private sector such as the diaspora, in a bid to mobilize the financial and human resources needed to improve migration governance across the country.

For more information, please contact François-Xavier Ada Affana, Communication Officer. Email: fadaaffana@iom.int.