Dakar – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) works closely with the Government of Senegal to achieve our common goals and hopes that this agreement with the National Agency for the Promotion of Youth Employment (ANPEJ, in French) will prove fruitful, guiding the present and future actions of both parties, including strengthening returnee referral and sustainable reintegration mechanisms.

“The scale of the phenomenon and complexity of challenges associated with irregular migration, including irregular migration networks, cross-border crime, trafficking of all kinds, but also the loss of human lives, show the need to combat it through concrete actions,” said Mr Tamsir FAYE, Director of ANPEJ in Senegal.

On Wednesday, November 8, 2023, a ceremony was held at the IOM Senegal Country Office to sign an agreement for cooperation between IOM and ANPEJ.

This agreement for cooperation aims to improve and strengthen collaboration between ANPEJ and IOM on issues of common interest. More specifically, it will enable both parties to:

•  Set a referral mechanism for migrants in need of employment or training as part of their reintegration project;
• Cooperate on the implementation, where appropriate, of funded activities in areas within the competence of both parties, such as poverty reduction, promotion of economic growth and human development support, assisted voluntary return and reintegration;
• Conduct consultations between ANPEJ and IOM on country strategies and assistance plans within the areas of competence of both parties;
• And carry out research projects on issues of common interest.

ANPEJ is one of Senegal’s pioneering state agencies for promoting youth employment and training, offering tailored support to jobseekers throughout the development of their professional projects.

“The major issues related to migration should be prioritized by pooling all actors’ efforts, as they are at the heart of Senegal’s economic and social development process. The effective implementation of this framework agreement will undoubtedly contribute to achieving our common objectives, namely migrant socio-professional reintegration and promotion,” said Valeria FALASCHI, IOM Chief of Mission in Senegal.

The complexity of the needs, diversity of skills and plurality of aspirations of migrants returning to Senegal call for a synergy of actions by all actors to ensure the return and reintegration process sustainability. This should offer opportunities for economic self-support, social stability and psychosocial well-being to young people and migrants, so that they can address re-emigration drivers.

Coordination between actors needs to be strengthened, to avoid unnecessary duplication, while enhancing interventions’ impact on the target populations’ lives.

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For more information, please contact:

Ousmane Diallo NTIECHE: Field coordinator, nodiallo@iom.int

Marceline FAYE: Partnerships Officer, mfaye@iom.int