Dakar – Effective referral of returnees to state and non-state actors designated to address their needs is a major challenge in facilitating and guaranteeing sustainable reintegration for each returnee.

Under the implementation of the sustainability strategy of the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme in Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA), funded by the European Union and supported by the Senegalese Government, IOM Senegal conducted a workshop on 8 May 2024 to validate the Standard Operating Procedures and Terms of Reference of Returnee National Referral Mechanism towards state and non-state actors engaged in economic, social, and psychosocial reintegration in Senegal.

The workshop, chaired by the Secretary of State for Senegalese Abroad, was attended by IOM Senegal Chief of Mission a.i., the Prime Minister’s representative, the European Union (EU) Delegation and about 60 state and non-state actors working in the field of economic, social, and psychosocial reintegration in Senegal. The workshop provided an opportunity to deepen their reflection and validate both the standard operating procedures and terms of reference documents for returnee national referral mechanism.

In his opening remarks, Mr Amadou Chérif DIOUF, Secretary of State for Senegalese Abroad, acknowledged IOM’s contribution and commended the wide range of participants, as well as the inclusive and participatory approach adopted, highlighting that “this synergy of actions, to better support vulnerable migrants, is in line with guidance provided by the President of the Republic and Prime Minister”.

Mrs Valeria FALASCHI, IOM Chief of Mission a.i., extended her congratulations to Mr Amadou Chérif DIOUF on his appointment to the position of Secretary of State for Senegalese Abroad, while reaffirming, “IOM’s readiness and commitment to pursue, alongside the State of Senegal, its efforts to improve migration management, facilitate the search for appropriate and practical solutions to migration issues, and promote humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all.”

Mr Malte SANDER, Migration Liaison Officer at the EU Delegation, representing the Head of the EU Delegation at the workshop, stressed that “the European Union is very committed at the global level to the fight against irregular migration, protection of migrants’ rights and improving regular migration management… The EU Delegation is also very interested in initiatives aimed at improving the coordination of stakeholders’ actions to enhance the impact and results of interventions.”

As a reminder, the validation workshop follows a sharing workshop held on 7 March 2024, which enabled stakeholders to define the context, objectives, missions, members, structure, and operating mode of the National Referral Mechanism (NRM).

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For more information, please contact:

Ousmane DIALLO NTIECHE, IOM Senegal, nodiallo@iom.int

GUEYE Serigne Mouhamadou Falilou, IOM/DGSE, sgueye@iom.int