IOM facilitates the return of 147 stranded migrants from Niger.

Yesterday, the United Nations International Organization for Migration (IOM) facilitated the safe and dignified return of 147 Sierra Leonean migrants who were stranded in Niger.

Upon arrival at Freetown International Airport on the same day, IOM staff closely coordinated with the Government of Sierra Leone to register the returnees and provide cash assistance for their immediate needs and food, water, and onward transportation. In the coming weeks, they will receive further reintegration assistance to address their economic, social, and psychosocial needs.

Several high-level attendees were present to welcome home these migrants, including the United Nations Resident Coordinator, the Head of Cooperation at the European Union in Sierra Leone, Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Youth Affairs, and the Presidential Advisor on Youth Affairs. 

“Our compatriots who we welcome today are among thousands who embarked on a dangerous journey in search of opportunities to better their lives and the lives of their families. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, they have had to make the courageous decision to return home,” said Seraphine Wakana, UN Resident Coordinator. “IOM will support their sustainable reintegration back into their communities, especially the most vulnerable, in the spirit of Leave No One Behind.”

Since 2017, IOM has assisted more than 11,000 migrants in returning to Sierra Leone. Over 2,100 of these cases—including yesterday’s flight—were directly supported by funding from the European Union’s Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Program in Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA). MPRR-SSA plays a pivotal role in increasing protection mechanisms for vulnerable or stranded migrants, assisting the voluntary humanitarian return of migrants, and supporting the sustainable reintegration of migrants into their home societies. 

Yesterday’s arrival comes just one day after International Migrants Day, an occasion to illuminate the invaluable contributions of migrants worldwide and the increasingly complex environment in which migration occurs. Conflicts, climate-related disasters, and economic pressures continue to drive millions of people from their homes in search of safety or opportunity. The partnership between IOM, the UN, the Government, and other multilateral actors in Sierra Leone will continue to strengthen as migration challenges require more innovative and collective solutions.

Written by Sam Whitlow, IOM Sierra Leone (rwhitlow@iom.int)