Freetown - To improve migration governance in Sierra Leone, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) organized an inter-ministerial consultation on Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) on the 3^rd of September.  

The one-day consultation brought together officials from the government and Civil Society organizations with the aim to give the opportunity to Ministries Departments and Agencies ( MDAs) to deepen discussions on the indicators, and set out priorities on good migration practices as well as potential areas for further development of migration governance.

“This engagement is important and timely as we are ready as a country to address the challenges we face on migration and to strengthen local migration governance framework,” said Honorable David Panda Noah, Minister of Internal Affairs. “If we put in place all the necessary migration strategies and policies, I believe migration could contribute positively to the growth of our beloved country”, he added. 

Last year, Sierra Leone officially accepted to participate in the Migration Governance Indicators Assessment. IOM and the Ministry of Internal Affairs engaged some institutions to collect data based on the migration governance indicators for Sierra Leone. Relevant data was collected and analyzed, and a draft Migration Governance Profile that summarizes the most important findings was produced and shared with Government Ministries; including Labour, Foreign Affairs, Internal Affairs, Health, Education and Office of National Security.

The MGI is anchored on frameworks such as adherence to international standards, evidence-based policy formulation, and engagement with partners, and the advancement of the socio-economic well-being of migrants among others. 

 “The MGI assessment is helping the Government identify good practices as well as offer insights on the policy levers that can be used to develop and/or strengthen migration governance structures,” said Dr James Bagonza, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Sierra Leone a.i. “This process will advance dialogues on migration governance by clarifying what well-governed migration might look like in the context of the SDGs”, he added.  

 “To effectively manage migration in Sierra Leone, there must be a framework put in place with all essential elements required for facilitating orderly mobility of people through planned and well managed immigration policies,” said Mr Duwai Sellu Lungay, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. 

In 2019, the country prioritized to address migration related challenges under its Medium Term National Development Plan (2019 – 2023).                      

However, its capacity to effectively address migration challenges are often limited due to structural gaps.

For more information, please contact Dr James Bagonza at IOM Sierra Leone, Tel: +23276466371, Email: jBagonza@iom.int or Alfred Fornah, Email: afornah@iom.int