Adré – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently rehabilitated the Adré border post, located 400 meters from the border between Chad and Sudan to support the efforts of the Government of Chad in to efficiently manage its borders.

Adré, is the the largest border town in eastern Chad. The city is the main town of the Assoungha department in the Ouaddaï Region of Chad. Located very close to Chad's eastern border with Sudan, 790 km away from Ndjamena itis an important crossing point for migrants, including traders and travellers between Chad and Sudan. While the exact volume of these cross-border exchanges is unknown, better border management is crucial in facilitating the movement of people and goods while increasing security for migrants.

At the request of the Government of Chad, and with the support of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS), the structure of the border post was whole refurbished. Solar panels and a generator were also installed to ensure energy autonomy at the border post.

In addition to the refurbishment of the facility, the border post is now equipped with the Migration Information and Data Analysis System (MIDAS), the IOM-developed border management solution. MIDAS enables States to collect, process and record traveller and migration information for the purposes of identification, authentication, data collection and analysis. The system will help formulate statistics on the number of migrants entering and leaving Chad, the length of their stays and nationalities, which will allow for a better understanding of migration flows in Chad.

The renovated border post was officially handed over last week (June 7) to Chad’s Directorate for Immigration and Emigration and the authorities of the Assoungha Prefecture in Eastern Chad.

"This support will enable the government of Chad to effectively manage the borders, facilitate regular cross-border movements and detect irregular flows ", declared Mr. Dillo Borgou DARGA, the Prefect of the department of Assoungha.

Border management is an important question for the security and sustainable development of Chad which, due to its geographical position straddling Sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel, and North Africa, is a hub for African migration. Chad is a country of origin, transit and destination of various migrants who sometimes take dangerous internal and transnational migration routes in search of better lives. However, these routes are not without risk as migrants are vulnerable to abuses and exploitation.

Since 2019, IOM provides technical support on border management to the Government of Chad through the rehabilitation of border posts, the roll-out of the MIDAS at key border crossing points, and the training of border officials and security forces on humanitarian border management. These trainings include techniques on how to identify and refer potential victims of trafficking, how to manage borders efficiently in times of emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as basics on migration data analysis.

During the handover ceremony of the rehabilitated border post, IOM presented the self-training guide on border management developed in partnership with the Government of Chad. The latter includes practical modules on border management during the COVID-19 epidemic, safe and orderly transhumance, human trafficking, and gender-based violence by the trainer trained by DIE to the participants.

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