Yaoundé – On 17 June 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the European Union, and the Government of Cameroon celebrated the two years of the implementation of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in Cameroon.

Since the beginning of the project, 2,563 Cameroonians migrants have received assistance for voluntary return from Burkina Faso, Libya, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, and Sudan. Among these, 552 were female including 89 pregnant women, and 264 were children, 45 of whom were unaccompanied children.

A total of 1,317 returned migrants have already received economic support either in setting up an income-generating activity or for training. 

“The training in Logistics and Transport that I received thanks to the economic support of this project will allow me to be more competitive on the job market,” declared Georges, a second-year student at Institut Siantou Supérieur, at the end of his Brevet de Technicien Supérieur thesis defence.

In terms of medical assistance, vulnerability screenings were conducted for 3,028 migrants upon their arrival at the airport and 90% of them received medical care.

In parallel, 9,407 individuals from 262 communities were sensitized to the risks of irregular migration through various activities including educational and community talks, television and radio spots, and a concert in partnership.

Funded by the European Union through its Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, and implemented by IOM, the EU-IOM Joint Initiative is supported by the Government of Cameroon through the Ministry of External Relations (MINREX); the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Civic Education (MINJEC); the Ministry of Social Affairs (MINAS); the Ministry of Public Health (MINSANTE) and other ministerial departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MINADER), the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries (MINEPIA), the Ministry of Small and Medium Enterprises, Social Economy and Handicrafts (MINPMEESA), as well as the Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and the Family Promotion (MINPROF).

Launched in 2017, the Joint Initiative aims to enhance migration management and ensure the protection, voluntary return and sustainable reintegration of Cameroonians migrants.

For more information, please contact Pascale Essama at IOM Cameroon, Email: pessama@iom.int, Tel: +237 657 10 30 74, or visit the website of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration: www.migrationjointinitiative.org.