Dakar - The effective return management and improvement of sustainable reintegration perspectives  are fundamental aspects of a sound and comprehensive migration governance in Africa in general and in Senegal in particular.

From 26 to 28 March 2024, the Country Office of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Senegal conducted a capacity-building workshop in Saly, Senegal, for 36 national actors involved in  returnee reintegration, on “IOM integrated approach to sustainable reintegration” in line with  objective 21 of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.

This workshop aimed to strengthen reintegration governance at territorial level, by providing local and  national stakeholders with tools to develop and support sustainable reintegration interventions, using an integrated approach based on returnees’ needs and taking into account the various factors impacting their reintegration.

This initiative shows the close collaboration between IOM and the Government of Senegal in assisting returnees and is part of the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA), funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM.

During three days, capacities of more than thirty frontline actors in migrant support were built including the Migrant Reception, Counselling and Follow-up Offices (Bureaux d’Accueil, Orientation et Suivi - BAOS), Academic Centres for School and Professional Counselling (Centres Académiques de  l’Orientation Scolaire et Professionnelle - CAOSP), National Agency for the Promotion of Youth  Employment (Agence Nationale de Promotion de l’emploi des Jeunes -ANPEJ), General Directorate for  Support to Senegalese Living Abroad (Direction Générale d’Appui aux Sénégalais de l’Extérieur DGASE), Vocational and Technical Training Funds (Fonds de Financement de la Formation  professionnelle et technique - 3FPT), Employment Directorate, as well as IOM Staffs and United Nations Volunteers. 

Mr Abdou Karim Cissé, Technical Adviser at the Directorate General for Support to Senegalese Living  Abroad of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Senegalese Living Abroad (MAESE), after welcoming “the fruitful partnership with the IOM, financial support of the European Union as well as sharing of experience between field actors from several regions of the country”, encouraged the participants to disseminate the knowledge they acquired in their various administrations so that a greater number of represented bodies’ staffs can benefit from it, with a view to achieving returnee sustainable  reintegration. 

The workshop was facilitated by MPRR-SSA Field Coordinator in Senegal. It adopted a highly participatory and interactive methodology involving peer-to-peer experience sharing, demonstrations, development of recommendations and action plans, as well as a summary report at the end of the workshop. IOM’s experiences in reintegration processes and those of the participants in their specific contexts were harnessed and enhanced through the exchange of ideas generated by a diverse group of participants, brought together to discuss the issue.

This initiative shows the close collaboration between IOM and the Government of Senegal in assisting returnees and is part of the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA), funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM.

***

For more information, please contact:

Ousmane DIALLO NTIECHE, nodiallo@iom.int

Marceline Coumba FAYE, mfaye@iom.int