Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan · 2020-04-30 · Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan 3 1. Protecting

International Organization for Migration (IOM)Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM)Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM)

June 2015

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan2

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan

June 2015

Since the tragic drowning of more than 300 migrants off the coast of Lampedusa in October 2013, the situation in the Mediterranean has remained dire. Compared to the same period in 2014, loss of life has quadrupled to over 1865 migrant deaths during the first half of 2015. Migration has increasingly become a strategic priority for the European Union (EU) in this period. The policy response has included the establishment of the Task Force Mediterranean, Statements of the European Council,1 Resolution of the European Parliament2 as well as the European Commission’s recent presentation of a European Agenda on Migration.3 IOM welcomes these developments as initial steps towards a holistic European approach on migration; however, deeper and longer term engagement is needed by the EU as well as its international, regional and national partners.

The drivers of irregular migration in the Mediterranean region include social, economic and demographic inequalities, instability and conflict, environmental degradation exacerbated by climate change, rights abuses, weak governance and failed migration and asylum systems compounded by limited regular migration channels and restrictive policies. The nature of the migration flows is similarly mixed, including economic migrants, vulnerable migrants and persons in need of international protection whose journeys are organized by exploitative migrant smuggling and human trafficking networks on both sides of the Mediterranean. Addressing the challenges of irregular entry is crucial to uphold the integrity of EU migration and border policies in full respect of human rights, and to disrupt the business model of migrant smugglers. At the same time, it is relevant to acknowledge that a significant share of irregular migrants on the EU

1 Most importantly, the Statement of the EU Council on 23rd of April 2015.

2 http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2015/2660(RSP).

3 European Agenda on Migration , released on 13th of May 2015 and Agenda brings together the different steps the European Union should take now, and in the coming years, to build up a coherent and comprehensive approach to reap the benefits and address the challenges deriving from migration.

territory entered legally but then overstay irregularly, many of them being employed informally.

IOM’s partnerships with UN agencies, such as UNHCR, UNICEF, OHCHR, UNODC, the EU institutions and EU agencies such as the European Asylum Support Office, Frontex, the Fundamental Rights Agency, and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, as well as the African Union and other relevant partners will be essential in this effort to uphold the human rights of migrants, address irregular migration and prevent its most perilous manifestations.

The response, therefore, has to include migration governance, development and law enforcement actions, with shared responsibilities between countries of origin, transit and destination. A crisis-driven response that focuses solely on immediate humanitarian and security needs without addressing the underlying drivers of irregular migration and the necessary structural changes would not be sustainable or effective. The aim must be to make migration work for human development at both origin and destination ends and promote alternatives for those who face life-threatening journeys and lack of prospects in regions of origin.

The present response plan outlines the priorities of IOM offices along the migration routes in Europe, North Africa, West Africa, and the Horn of Africa and attempts to provide an illustration of the key migration dynamics facing these regions. Four key objectives provide the framework for IOM’s priorities and coordinated action: (1) protecting migrants’ basic rights; (2) addressing drivers of irregular migration; (3) promoting safe, orderly and dignified human mobility; and (4) developing partnerships for growth and competitiveness. The operationalization of the response plan will be elaborated by each Mission according to the needs based on IOM’s modus operandi.

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2015/2660(RSP)

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2015/2660(RSP)

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan 3

1. Protecting migrants’ basic rightsObjective: To reduce deaths and human suffering during and as a result of migration and protect the human rights of migrants.

A robust and effective EU response in Search and Rescue (SAR) operations at sea is crucial to address the humanitarian plight of tens of thousands of migrants making dangerous voyages in perilous circumstances. IOM supports regional cooperation as well as multilateral approaches to SAR and stands ready to contribute to national, regional and multilateral efforts to strengthen SAR. IOM advocates for similar efforts to provide land-based search and rescue services to lost, missing and injured migrants along the migration routes, especially in deserts. IOM can support these efforts and strengthen coordination through collecting and analysing data on migrants and mapping of migrant routes.

The dangerous and often fatal crossing of the Mediterranean is just one of the many risks migrants face along their journey. Along the migratory route, migrants cross deserts, are often detained in deplorable conditions, may face xenophobia, and are subjected to violence and abuse by migrant smugglers or human traffickers. In view of the high numbers of persons travelling through countries such as Niger and Libya to Europe, it is imperative to provide assistance and protection to migrants in transit countries.

In order to support government efforts to respond effectively to complex migration flows and strengthen protection measures, IOM proposes to explore the establishment of Migrant Resource and Response Mechanisms (MRRM4) with key partners in strategic locations along the migratory routes. MRRM aim to provide operational support to government authorities to address complex migratory flows, facilitate the identification and registration of migrants, and support data collection to feed into evidence-based policy and programming (while respecting national and IOM Data Protection Principles). MRRM also seek to provide direct assistance and support services such as: urgent health care; food; non-food items such as hygiene kits; psychological support; temporary shelter for the most

4 The Migrant Resource and Response Mechanism is based on IOM’s extensive experience in supporting Migrant Resource Centres (see more detailed explanation on page 4) in at least 10 different countries in recent years only.

vulnerable migrants; counselling; facilitation of contact

with families, consular offices and referral services,

according to, and based on, needs. Support would be

tailored to address particular vulnerabilities, such as

those of unaccompanied migrant children, migrants

vulnerable to trafficking and abuse, migrants with

health and psychosocial-related needs, as well as

persons in need of international refugee protection, in

partnership with national authorities and UNHCR.

In addition, MRRM will provide information and

awareness-raising on the risks of irregular migration

(including trafficking in persons), the available channels

for legal migration, as well as rights and obligations of

both States and migrants. Finally, MRRM propose to

support the identification and access to alternatives to

high risk irregular migration and longer term solutions

including legal migration or Assisted Voluntary Return

and Reintegration (AVRR) to countries of origin. To

ensure a sustainable and far reaching impact, IOM

believes that MRRM should be embedded within a

broad migration governance approach that seeks

to foster community development opportunities and

alternatives to irregular migration within transit

countries and countries of origin.

AVRR in transit countries is another key part of the

rights-based response to irregular migration, providing

needed assistance to the affected countries as well

as stranded migrants who are in distress and often

destitute and express willingness to return home.

AVRR also allows taking into account and addressing

the specific needs of vulnerable migrants, such as

Unaccompanied Migrant Children (UMC), Victims

of Trafficking or migrants with health conditions. A

comprehensive approach to return and reintegration is

required, including partnerships and capacity-building

among countries of destination, transit and origin, in

order to make AVRR not simply a tool to respond to

irregular migration, but a mechanism embedded within

national and regional migration governance frameworks

that could meaningfully foster community stability and

local development.


2. Addressing drivers of irregular migration

Objective: To reduce negative factors inducing irregular migration and enable a true choice between migrating safely and not migrating.

As a basis for policies addressing the drivers of irregular migration, further research and data initiatives are essential to gather quantitative and qualitative data on migrants’ and other vulnerable mobile populations’ profiles, needs, expectations, vulnerabilities and intentions. IOM is committed to continuing to publish an annual report on migrant fatalities,5 and will extend its research and data collection to include preparation of a Global Report on Human Smuggling. In addition to data on volumes and routes, and complementary to EU intelligence gathering efforts, more detailed analysis of human mobility and vulnerabilities could consider motivations for certain routes, such as, for example, the importance of diaspora networks and family reunification along specific corridors. IOM also seeks to extend its displacement tracking methodology, to capture, process and disseminate information to provide a better understanding of migratory movements, origins, intentions and evolving needs, whether at fixed locations or along transit routes. IOM has recently commissioned several pieces of research on migration flows across the Mediterranean as well as established an inter-agency task force and data and information sharing platform on mixed migration in North Africa (called the Migration Hub - MHub6) and is planning to partner with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and UNODC in helping to make IMO’s Database on Maritime Incidents a more useful tool for member states to collect and share data about migrant smuggling incident at sea.

Without investing in large-scale stability and development programmes, individual and community-level assistance for returning migrants, as well as genuine regular migration opportunities in origin countries, smuggling will continue to thrive and thousands of lives will continue to be lost. In addition initiatives aimed at improving economic opportunities, social (including health) services, and community infrastructure

5 Fatal Journeys – 2014 – comparison of irregular migration trends and migrant fatalities between regions. http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/FatalJourneys_CountingtheUncounted.pdf.

6 MHub: http://www.mixedmigrationhub.org/.

are needed in areas prone to economically-induced irregular migration. Similarly, efforts aimed at disaster risk reduction and building community resilience are required to reduce other negative migration drivers, such as conflict, environmental degradation, violence, and other man-made and natural disasters.

3. Promoting safe, orderly and dignified human mobility

Objective: To create the conditions for migration to take place in safe, orderly and dignified ways.

IOM advocates for greater access to safe, regular migration and mobility options. This includes promoting the establishment of humanitarian avenues that can include alternatives to dangerous movements by land and sea and providing clear and accurate information about the risks of irregular migration.

While the European Agenda and the Europe 2020 Strategy highlight the importance of legal migration and mobility for future competitiveness, few new concrete proposals are put forward by the EU in this area. In addition to the plans to increase resettlement and other forms of admission, regular economic migration channels at all skill levels should be developed to respond to labour market realities and provide alternatives to irregular migration. Such opportunities should also be accompanied by support to migrant skill development, including cultural orientation and language competences; and partnerships with third countries on improving the educational systems and comparability of educational outcomes; better job-matching domestically and internationally; enhancing the integrity of international recruitment chains (i.e. IOM initiative of International Recruitment Integrity System - IRIS); and developing government capacity in labour migration management, including enhanced intra and interregional labour mobility. Information and referral services should also be delivered to potential and travel-ready migrants in cooperation with employment services and other actors through Migrant Resource Centres,7 hotlines and/or online platforms.

7 Over the last 10 years, governments, NGOs, social partners and IO‘s, such as IOM and ILO, have established Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) and other similar facilities in both origin and destination countries: Albania, Australia, Colombia, Croatia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Tajikistan, Philippines, Slovakia. The name Migrant Resource Centre is commonly used to indicate similar structires such as “Migrant

http://publications.iom.int/bookstore/free/FatalJourneys_CountingtheUncounted.pdf




To ensure safe, dignified and orderly movement of migrants across borders, further efforts are also needed to build national capacities and support cross-border cooperation to respond to the needs of vulnerable migrants and persons in need of international protection in the context of identity and border management. IOM promotes the concept of Humanitarian Border Management, which aims at protecting crisis-affected migrants and guarantees their human rights while respecting national sovereignty and security. This includes strengthening (cross border) referral systems to ensure continuity of health care, including by developing standard operating procedures (SOP), strengthening policies, technical knowledge and capacity of border officials and health professionals in countries of transit and destination to assist migrants with needs. Further efforts are also needed to improve coordinated civil registry data management and access to documentation for migrants at all steps of the journey.

International cooperation and national actions to address smuggling of migrants and trafficking in human beings must also be stepped up. It is important to gather intelligence and data on migrant smuggling operations to ensure that they are disrupted at the earliest opportunity. IOM is currently developing a global counter-smuggling action plan, which aims to: (i) help migrants in distress; (ii) facilitate more avenues for safe and regular migration; (iii) promote development for better options, more meaningful choice and to reduce the factors that lead migrants to seek out smugglers; and, (iv) assist in building capacity of law enforcement structures and policymakers to address people smuggling with a focus disrupting the activities of criminals and decriminalizing migrants.

Finally, for those migrants that do not have the right to stay on the territory of the country of destination, assisted voluntary return and reintegration must also be recognized as the preferred option for returns to be humane, dignified and sustainable.

information centres“, “Migrant workers centres“ and others. MRC function as a one stop shop with a range of services adapted to local conditions and information requirements. Globally, MRCs are recognized as having a key role to play in the empowerment and protection of migrants, the importance of which was highlighted at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in 2007 and 2008.

4. Developing partnerships for growth and competitiveness

Objective: To create the structural conditions and make systemic changes to enable positive outcomes of migration for all involved, recognizing that migration will continue, cannot and should not be stopped, and is essential for growth and development on both sides of the Mediterranean, in view of economic, labour market and demographic realities.

IOM calls for fair and balanced cooperation through establishing or reinforcing policy and operational platforms, which can build on existing regional/interregional consultative processes. A comprehensive range of concrete policies and actions to improve migration governance must be taken jointly by stakeholders in countries of origin, transit and destination. Based on IOM’s constitutional mandate, IOM offers its capacity to facilitate dialogue and cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination with a view to finding practical and mutually acceptable solutions.

Complementing efforts to enhance regional and intra-regional dialogue, increased efforts are needed now to build confidence between national partners and strike the right balance between law enforcement measures, ensuring protection and assistance, and responding to the drivers of irregular migration. Essential to achieving this goal is a shift in public and political discourse on migration, recognizing that migration is a process to be managed and not a problem to be solved. IOM’s increasing and extensive advocacy has contributed to valuable information and analysis which has helped to inform policy responses and contributed to communicating better on migration. Several intergovernmental dialogue and cooperation mechanisms8 have highlighted the substantial human and societal development benefits of migration, for migrants, their families and communities in countries of origin, transit and destination when migration takes places through safe and legal means. The post-2015 UN development agenda is poised to recognize the positive links between migration and development, and focus attention on the need to “facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through implementation of planned

and well-managed migration policies.”9

8 The Global Forum on Migration and Development, UN High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development, IOM’s International Dialogue on Migration, Regional Economic Commissions and other.

9 Section 10.7 of the report of the Open Working Group on Sustainable Development Goals.


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Europe: Regional overview

FlowsAccording to IOM’s data collection from January 2015–11 June 2015, 1,865 migrants died crossing the Mediterranean Sea, the majority of whom are sub-Saharan Africans, marking a dramatic increase over the 437 migrant deaths recorded in the first six months of 2014. As of the mid June 2015, more than 110,000 persons have reached Europe’s shores irregularly by sea ahead of levels reached at this time in 2014, notably due to a sharp increase on the Eastern Mediterranean route10.

In Italy, 57,25211 migrants arrived by sea in 2015, a slight increase in comparison to the same period of last year. The main nationalities of migrants transiting the Central Mediterranean route12 include nationals from Eritrea, Somalia, Nigeria, Syrian Arab Republic, the Gambia, Senegal and Mali.13 Most are men; however, there are also increasingly significant numbers of women and children, including unaccompanied minors. In 2014, Syrians and Eritreans made up 45 per cent of irregular maritime arrivals to Italy, with Syrians predominating. West African countries featured in the top five countries of origin although in lower numbers as arrivals of Malians, Nigerians and Gambians together still made up less than half the number of Syrian and Eritrean arrivals. In 2015, there has been a large decrease in numbers of Syrians arriving in Italy as routes are shifting in response to the situation in Libya and related developments. The Syrian Arab Republic was only the fourth top country of origin, and numbers of Syrians were just one third the number of Eritrean arrivals (3,185 versus 10,985).14 Eritreans are by far the largest share of arrivals – comprising 23 per cent of all arrivals so far in 2015. While West African countries feature higher on the list of arrivals, this is more a reflection of the decrease in Syrians than it is of an increase in West Africans.

10 Eastern Mediterranean route refers to the migratory flow through Turkey to the European Union via Greece, southern Bulgaria or Cyprus.

11 As of 15 June 2015.12 Central Mediterranean route refers to the migratory flow

coming from Northern Africa towards Italy and Malta through the Mediterranean Sea.

13 All numbers are minimum estimates. Arrivals estimates are based on data from respective governments and IOM offices. This does not include deaths occurring during the journey prior to embarkation, such as in the Sahara Desert. Data: 1 January – 30 April 2015.

14 January – 31 May 2015.

RoutesWhile a lot of focus has been on the Central Mediterranean Route, arrivals by sea to Greece in just the first five months of 2015 have already eclipsed the total number for 2014 (roughly 52,000 in 2015 compared with 34,400 in 2014) as such Greece is so far the most seriously affected country. In 2014, maritime arrivals to Greece were just about 20 per cent the size of arrivals to Italy (170,100). At the time of writing, however, arrivals to Greece are only about 5,000 shy of the numbers being received in Italy. From Lebanon and Jordan to Turkey and onward by boat to Greece, this path is predominantly used by Syrians. Afghans make up the second largest group of arrivals. Together, Syrians and Afghans made up about 80 per cent of arrivals in the first four months of the year, and comprised 86 per cent of maritime arrivals in 2014. Other nationalities are far less significant, and include Pakistanis, Somalis, and Iraqis in 2015. Of note as well, there has been a surge in arrivals from Pakistan.

The Western Balkans is another key transit route into the EU where a significant growth in mixed migration flows is currently observed. In 2014 a sharp increase in detection of migrants of Syrian (+363%) and Afghan nationality (+168%) has been observed15. Pakistan, Mali, Algeria, and Somalia also constitute key countries of origin for transit mixed migration flows through the region. In 2015, this trend has continued, with increasing migrants transiting through Greece and the Western Balkans region to reach the EU. Most recently, an increased number of migrants from Africa enter the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia through Greece, from where they continue through the Western Balkan region. Migrants transiting through the region are at risk of exploitation, threats and abuse from smugglers, traffickers and criminal networks during their transit through the Western Balkans.

Furthermore, Turkey with the length of sea borders of about 6,530 km plays a key role as a transit country for the migrants heading towards the EU. The dramatic increase in apprehensions of migrants on the sea by the Turkish Coast Guard is nearly 422 per cent comparing analogical period of 2014 and 2015 (with 10,131 apprehensions between 1 January and 31 May 2015) with 82 per cent of those apprehensions taking place on the Mediterranean Sea. The top five nationalities

15 Western Balkans, Annual Risk Analysis 2015. Frontex, 12 May 2015.


are from the Syrian Arab Republic (62%), Afghanistan (16%), Myanmar (8%), Erıtrea (5%) and the Republic of Congo (3%). Enhanced surveillance along the land borders of the Eastern Mediterranean route with Turkey has further resulted in displacement on the Eastern Aegean Sea.

The lure of improved living and working conditions as well as the inconsistent application of border management procedures for irregular sea arrivals in Europe are pull factors, yet there are also significant drivers in countries of origin that propel migrants and persons in need of international protection to undertake perilous journeys. The ongoing conflict in the Syrian Arab Republic, instability in Libya and elsewhere, poverty, violations of rights, environmental degradation, lack of access to basic services in several countries are only some of the factors that drive individuals to migrate irregularly under dangerous conditions, including using the services of smugglers.

Policy ProcessesIOM welcomes the renewed focus on life saving within the European Agenda for Migration. The increase in EU funding for Operations Triton and Poseidon in 2015 and 2016 allows for a reinforcement of capabilities and the expansion of operations combined with search and rescue (SAR). The proposed EU military operation16 - EUNAVFOR Med that aims to identify and seize or destroy the vessels used by smugglers and traffickers constitutes a new and not yet tested approach to combating migrant smuggling. IOM is extremely concerned about any step towards the militarization of migration governance and urges that impacts are carefully analyzed to ensure that the protection of vulnerable smuggled migrants, refugees and asylum-seekers is not compromized.

IOM advocates for better access to safe, regular migration and mobility options. This includes promoting the establishment of legal avenues that can include alternatives to dangerous movements by land and sea and providing clear and accurate information about the risks of irregular migration. An EU-wide pilot offering a quota of 20,000 resettlement places is a first step in enhancing refugee resettlement to the EU Member States and should become a binding and mandatory approach beyond 2016 including an incremental increase in places. Moreover greater use of

16 EU action plan against migrant smuggling (2015–2020).

other legal avenues for persons in need of international protection (private/non-governmental sponsorships, humanitarian permits and family reunification) should be envisaged as well. It will be essential that these efforts are complemented by commitments to strengthening available integration measures. IOM is ready to support resettlement and other forms of humanitarian admission, in close partnership with UNHCR and resettlement States. Furthermore, new approaches to labour migration need to be envisaged taking into account cross-border mobility, promoting more inclusive employment and increasing productivity and labour market participation among all groups of working age population, and strengthening the contribution of migration to growth and competitiveness.

At the moment, IOM has not witnessed yet a substantial and direct link between the mixed migration flows in the Mediterranean and an increase in uptake of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration assistance in the Mediterranean countries. This is partially resulting from the percentage of persons in need of international protection arriving within those mixed flows as well as suspension of return decision for specific countries, i.e. the Syrian Arab Republic. However gaps in information provision on services available for migrants (legal, health) and possibilities of return as well as pressure on reception centres and conditions are encountered in the EU Member States in the Mediterranean.

In terms of partnerships and cooperation in the region, IOM and UNHCR have established Standard Operating Procedures to address needs at arrival through measures such as the Praesidium Project in Italy, and the IOM/UNHCR Framework for the Identification and Protection of Victims of Trafficking, and work together with governmental and civil society actors in the region to help ensure each individual migrant and persons in need of international protection receives the assistance and protection to which he or she is entitled. IOM and UNHCR have also coordinated the development of a Regional Action Plan for the Western Balkans, which aims to assist Governments in the region in developing and operationalizing a comprehensive migration and asylum management system at the national and multilateral level. However, further support is required to enhance national response and regional cooperation within each country and at the borders of the Western Balkans region with the EU, as well to facilitate coordination and effective horizontal implementation mechanisms. IOM Turkey is also


Compiled jointly by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) - Migration Research Division (MRD) and Media and Communications (MCD) from various sources. Arrival numbers are minimum estimates based on data from respective governments. Data for Spain, not confirmed by government. Names and boundaries indicated on map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by IOM. 12/06/15.

IOM • OIM

Mediterranean Migration Routes 2015

SPAIN

ITALY

GREECE

MALTA

Air migration routesLand migration routesMaritime migration routes

Central Mediterranean routeEast Africa routeEast Mediterranean routeWest Africa routeWest Mediterranean route

Migration flows

iom.int

1,217arrivals

58,763arrivals

92arrivals

54,275arrivals

Arrivals are estimatesas of 15/6/15.

El Aiun

Agadir

Nouadhibou

Nouakchott

Dakar

Bissau

Saint Louis

Conakry

Freetown

MonroviaAbidjan

AccraPorto-Novo Lagos

Ouagadougou

Niamey

Gao

Bamako

MarseilleSète

MahonMajorcaIbiza

CasablancaRabatAsilah

TangiersAlgeciras

Malaga Almeria

Ceuta

Oujda Maghnia

MelillaAlgiers

GhardaiaOuargla

Adrar

Tamanrasset

Tessalit

Arlit

Agadez

Zinder

Kano

Dirkou

Sebha

Djanet

Illizi

Ghädamis

ZuwaranTripoli Zliten

Sicily

Malta

Tunis

Lampedusa

Benghazi

Ajdabiya

Al Jawf /Al Kuffra

Alexandria

CairoAqaba

AmmanDamascus

Aswan

Selima

Dongola

Khartoum

Altbara

Port Sudan

KassalaAsmara

Jizan

Al Qadarif

Addis Ababa

Djibouti

Harar Burao

Bossasso

Juba

Kampala

Nairobi

Mogadishu

Beirut Baghdad

TehranArbilSemdinli

Urmia

SalmasHakkari

Van

Agri

Silopi

Homs

Ufra

Istanbul

MersiIzmir and Cesme

AyvalikMurefte

Athens

Igoumenitsa

Patras

BrindisiBari

Ancona

VeniceTrieste

Bucharest

PetrichSofia

Giurgiu

Svilengrad

BojadorLemsia

Tarfaya

Tan-Tan

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

Fuerteventura

Bilma

Morocco

Mauritania

Algeria

Côte d’Ivoire

Niger

Libya Egypt

Sudan

Iraq

Iran

Ghana NigeriaSouth Sudan

Ethiopia

Somalia

Kenya

Senegal

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Yemen

Syrian Arab Republic

Turkey

Mali

Uganda

IOM presence in selected EU Mediterranean countries

cooperating with the Turkish Coast guards through the management of a government-owned 157 Helpline for rescue at sea since July 2014. Efforts have been stepped up to manage the increasing mixed migration flows with a recent initiative on the “Implementation of the Strategy Document and National Action Plan on Irregular Migration with a Focus on Mixed Migration Flows” aimed at strengthening the institutional capacities of the relevant governmental stakeholders, enhancing cooperation and coordination at national and regional levels as well as ensuring the protection of vulnerable migrants entering irregularly and travelling in mixed migration flows at land and sea borders.

IOM in the Mediterranean Countries in Europe17

Country Offices Locations Staff

Cyprus 1 Nicosia 1

Greece 8 Athens, Lesvos, Samos, Thessaloniki, Patras,

Ioannina, Orestiada , Crete

70

Italy 4 Rome, Sicily/Lampedusa, Apulia, Calabria

48

Malta 1 Floriana 8

Spain 1 Madrid 15

Total 142

17 The person in Samos is covering also Chios, Ko and Rhodes. Sub-offices in Italy present roving teams with no fixed locations: 5 persons in Sicily, 1 person in Lampedusa, 3 in Apulia and 1 in Calabria.

Under the coordination of the Regional Office in Brussels and the coordinating office for the Mediterranean in Rome, IOM Country Offices in the Mediterranean have identified the following operational priorities for intervention:

a. Protecting migrants’ basic rights• Support regional cooperation as well as multilateral

approaches to SAR and contribute to national, regional and multilateral efforts to strengthen SAR.

• Provide direct assistance and legal counselling to mixed flows arriving by sea and land including early identification and referral of vulnerable migrants (victims of trafficking, unaccompanied minors, those with medical needs) to local authorities and relevant civil society actors and institutions.

• Develop and disseminate information on services available to migrants (e.g. health, psychosocial support, legal, shelter, education), migrant rights, legal migration and mobility channels and alternatives to irregular migration, including through Migrant Resource Centres.18

• Support reception capacities and monitor detention conditions and border crossing points and possible

18 In recent years, Governments, NGOs, social partners and IO‘s, such as IOM and ILO, have established Migrant Resource Centres (MRCs) and other similar facilities in both origin and destination countries. Globally, MRCs are recognized as having a key role to play in the empowerment and protection of migrants, the importance of which was highlighted at the Global Forum on Migration and Development in 2007 and 2008.


development of related Standard Operating Procedures.

• Prepare and update contingency plans with national authorities and other relevant actors in order to respond to significant increases in arrivals.

• Strengthen the capacity though training and technical assistance:

1. Staff at reception centres providing social and specialized services for migrants and persons in need of international protection by improving referral mechanisms between different providers, psychosocial assistance, identification of victims of trafficking and family reunification, including family tracing, provided to vulnerable migrants.

2. Health professionals to provide migrant sensitive health services, including cultural competency in order to improve their understanding of rights of migrants to access health and other services, and cultural barriers that could prevent access.

b. Addressing drivers of irregular migration

• Develop the knowledge base on mixed migration flows including socioeconomic conditions, well-being, migration intentions and the profile of migrants arriving by sea, with the aim to provide the data needed for policymakers to inform their decisions.

• Improve understanding of the interrelations between migration, environment and climate change and their effects on global security and build the capacity of policymakers and practitioners in order to factor migration into environmental and development policies.

• Propose comprehensive and tailored institutional capacity-building initiatives to provide national policymakers and practitioners with better understanding of the link between human mobility and development.

• Mobilize diaspora associations as agents for development by engaging in co-development initiatives, including in the health sector, sustainable land management and land rehabilitation in their countries of origin; and migrants to become “mentors” of their peers in the hosting communities.

• Enhance development and community stabilization role of migrants by supporting their investment plans in job-generating enterprises; diasporas’ networks, transnational social ties and financial capital.

c. Promoting safe, orderly and dignified human mobility

• Support assisted voluntary return and reintegration measures for irregular migrants as well as vulnerable groups and failed asylum-seekers with a view to their sustainable reintegration in their country of origin through strengthening community development and community stabilization approaches.

• Cooperate with the EU Member States, UNHCR and relevant civil society and local community partners in developing and enhancing refugee resettlement schemes including safe travel and pre-departure preparation and training, to promote better social and economic integration.

• Support EU member states to make full use of other legal avenues available for persons in need of international protection including humanitarian admission, private/non-governmental sponsorship, family reunification and more flexible visa arrangements.

• Promote avenues for regular labour migration and build capacity of institutions for the social and economic integration, including through ethical recruitment to reduce smuggling, abuse and exploitation.

• Initiate awareness raising campaign on the risks related to irregular migration and options available for legal channels and access to social and health services.

• Strengthen IOM’s capacity to engage the media and the public to communicate IOM’s messages, activities, data and analysis in order to improve the discourse over migration and contribute to a sound, informed basis for policymaking. This includes the need to produce and communicate more human interest stories and evidence-based analyses by harnessing new media and technologies with the goal of highlighting migrant perspectives, raising public awareness on the plight of migrants as well as their positive contributions to society, and garnering increased public sympathy and support. Increasing joint messaging with partners should be sought.


• Support rights-based border management at irregular migration hotspots in cooperation with Frontex, by enhancing capacities and facilitating coordination and cooperation with border management agencies in third countries.

• Support EU Member States in establishing relocation schemes for Syrians and Eritreans from Italy and Greece based on IOM’s practical experience and expertise with the pilot relocation scheme from Malta (EUREMA, 2009-2011) including increased coordination of post arrival measures in light of a uniform application of the Common European Asylum System.

North Africa: Regional overview

FlowsNorth Africa witnesses forced migration and external displacement as well as labour migration within and from countries in the region; yet current trends are dominated by complex mixed migration flows originating in West Africa, the Horn of Africa and the Middle East. Key drivers of migration, to, within, through and from North Africa are armed conflict, environmental stress, political and economic instability, poor education and employment prospects, and the presence of large youthful populations whose aspirations remain unfulfilled. Perceived and real educational, professional and other opportunities, access to asylum and the presence of networks, including the diaspora, are among the main factors on the destination end shaping migration flows. Flows broadly combine economic migrants, on the one hand, and persons in need of international protection, on the other hand, but at the level of the family or the individual, migration motives and risk analyses are often far more complex: for example, protection concerns combined with the desire to attain a more stable economic future or to join family already living in Europe; while a primarily opportunity-seeking migration project is significantly shaped by underlying political instability and lack of freedoms in the country of origin.

The vast majority of migrants from both the Horn of Africa and West Africa are young males; while Syrians are somewhat more likely to move as families. In addition to vulnerabilities related to age, gender and health, risks for migrants also arise from the physical conditions of the journey as well as human

rights violations at the hands of smugglers, traffickers and others. Migrants may get stranded along the way and are at risk of destitution and arbitrary and prolonged detention (especially in Libya). Two particularly concerning trends are the high number of unaccompanied migrant children, especially from Egypt and countries of the Horn of Africa, and the intense abuse by smugglers which, in many instances, converts a smuggling situation into one more akin to human trafficking.

RoutesMigratory routes to and through North Africa broadly follow the Western and the Central Mediterranean routes: on the western side, routes run along the coast from Mauritania to Morocco (mainly used by Senegalese and Gambians) or through the desert through Niger and Mali to Algeria and Morocco (used inter alia by Ghanaians, Ivoirians, Cameroonians, Nigeriens). Gao in Mali, Agadez in Niger and Tamanrasset in Algeria feature as important hubs for migrants along the way. In Morocco, the main entry points into Europe are the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla, although there are still a few boat crossings across the Strait of Gibraltar.

The Central Routes, on the one hand, originate in the Horn of Africa and run via Sudan into Libya and to a much lesser extent into Egypt. This route is mainly travelled by Eritreans, Ethiopians, Somalis and Sudanese. It should be noted that the majority of migrants from the Horn of Africa rather go south towards South Africa or east towards Yemen and the Gulf, although the latter route is subject to change in view of the crisis in Yemen since March 2015. On the other hand, there are routes through Chad and Niger northwards into Libya, used principally by West Africans. Sebha, Qatrun and Al Khufra in southern Libya are key transit points on this route.

Boat departures to Italy take place principally (90%) from the Libyan coast, in particular its western end, and to a lesser extent from the Egyptian north coast. Many migrants use – or intend to use – North Africa as a springboard to Europe. However, evidence suggests that many migrants, in particular those from West Africa, establish in North Africa looking at economic opportunities as close to home as possible. They may then find themselves compelled to migrate onwards, in particular to escape the violence in Libya. Another



IOM • OIM


SPAIN

ITALY

GREECE

MALTA



Migration flows

iom.int

1,217arrivals

58,763arrivals

92arrivals

54,275arrivals


El Aiun

Agadir

Nouadhibou

Nouakchott

Dakar

Bissau

Saint Louis

Conakry

Freetown

MonroviaAbidjan


Ouagadougou

Niamey

Gao

Bamako

MarseilleSète

MahonMajorcaIbiza


TangiersAlgeciras

Malaga Almeria

Ceuta

Oujda Maghnia

MelillaAlgiers

GhardaiaOuargla

Adrar

Tamanrasset

Tessalit

Arlit

Agadez

Zinder

Kano

Dirkou

Sebha

Djanet

Illizi

Ghädamis


Sicily

Malta

Tunis

Lampedusa

Benghazi

Ajdabiya

Al Jawf /Al Kuffra

Alexandria

CairoAqaba

AmmanDamascus

Aswan

Selima

Dongola

Khartoum

Altbara

Port Sudan

KassalaAsmara

Jizan

Al Qadarif

Addis Ababa

Djibouti

Harar Burao

Bossasso

Juba

Kampala

Nairobi

Mogadishu

Beirut Baghdad

TehranArbilSemdinli

Urmia

SalmasHakkari

Van

Agri

Silopi

Homs

Ufra

Istanbul


AyvalikMurefte

Athens

Igoumenitsa

Patras

BrindisiBari

Ancona

VeniceTrieste

Bucharest

PetrichSofia

Giurgiu

Svilengrad

BojadorLemsia

Tarfaya

Tan-Tan

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

Fuerteventura

Bilma

Morocco

Mauritania

Algeria

Côte d’Ivoire

Niger

Libya Egypt

Sudan

Iraq

Iran


Ethiopia

Somalia

Kenya

Senegal

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Yemen


Turkey

Mali

Uganda

IOM presence in North African countries

trend concerns the secondary movements of refugees and asylum-seekers, above all from the Syrian Arab Republic, from North African countries of first refuge to Europe for reasons of socioeconomic opportunity or family reunification.

Policy ProcessesAt a regional level, policy processes and cooperation framework on migration and relevant to North Africa include the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Routes Initiative (Khartoum Process) and the Euro-African Dialogue on Migration and Development (Rabat Process). Numerous countries in the region have concluded bilateral agreements amongst each other and with European countries. With respect to the European Union, Mobility Partnerships have been signed with Tunisia and Morocco. More generally, countries of the region are also part of the League of Arab States – which is in the process of establishing the Arab Regional Consultative Process on Migration – and the Arab Maghreb Union. Ministers of the League of Arab States have, furthermore, adopted the “Comprehensive Arab Strategy for Combatting Trafficking in Human Beings” in 2012. At an inter-agency level, IOM, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Danish Refugee Council and the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (Nairobi) have formed the North Africa Mixed Migration Task Force which is supported by the Mixed Migration Hub19 and is dedicated to coordination and knowledge production concerning the protection of people moving in mixed and complex flows to, through and from North Africa.

19 http://www.mixedmigrationhub.org/

IOM in North Africa20


Algeria 1 Algiers 1

Egypt 2 Cairo, Aswan 99

Libya 2 Tripoli/Tunis, Benghazi 22

Morocco 3 Rabat, Tangier, Tétouan

50

Tunisia 3 Tunis, Sfax, Zarzis 53

Total 225

Under the coordination of the Regional Office for the Middle East and North Africa in Cairo, IOM Country Offices in North Africa have identified the following operational priorities for intervention:

a. Protecting migrants’ basic rights• Support local partners to deliver and, as needed,

directly provide material assistance and other humanitarian support, protection, and voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) assistance to vulnerable stranded migrants, including those in detention, victims of trafficking, migrants with significant health conditions, unaccompanied migrant children, and other vulnerable cases across the region.

• Produce and disseminate information on services available to migrants (e.g. health, psychosocial, legal, shelter, education), migrant rights, legal migration

20 The IOM office in Algiers is currently being established and staffed.

http://www.mixedmigrationhub.org/


and mobility channels and alternatives to irregular migration, including through Migrant Resource Centres21 and/or online platforms22 in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

• Strengthen government capacity through the provision of technical assistance to develop and implement evidence-based policies and legislation on trafficking of persons in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

• Build capacity of the Libyan and Tunisian Coast Guards on search and rescue at sea.


• Develop the knowledge base and analysis on migration routes into and through North Africa as well as on the socioeconomic conditions, well-being, migration intentions and profiles of residing and potential migrants.

• Develop targeted awareness-raising campaigns on the risks of irregular migration in coordination with local partners across the region.23

• Mobilize North African diaspora for national development via skills transfer through temporary return, investment and business opportunities and philanthropic engagement.

• Support innovative socioeconomic integration initiatives linked to community development for returning nationals in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisian, and (in Morocco) for regularized migrants.

• Enhance measures to strengthen employability, employment and self-employment for youth and communities with high rates of urban/international emigration as well as through specific, environmentally sustainable livelihood interventions in Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia.

• Promote social cohesion in Libya among migrants, internally displaced and host communities, inter alia through community infrastructure rehabilitation and livelihood and employment initiatives, and

21 See www.centresmigrants.tn for further information on the Migrant Resource Centres in Tunisia.

22 See www.bosla-egypt.info for further information on the online migrant information platform in Egypt.

23 For example, see the videos produced within the SALEMM project in Tunisia: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCXCT8RZL3Ku-e3yDBKRplCg.

continuing and expanding the experience of the Social Community Centers established after the crisis.

• Mainstream migration into relevant sectoral policies in Morocco.


• Support implementation of priority initiatives in the context of the EU Regional Development and Protection Programme for North Africa.

• Strengthen capacity of health services across the region to respond to the health needs of (transit) migrants through training, improved referral mechanisms, improved infrastructure of health facilities and medical equipment.

• Promote South-South dialogue, exchange and cooperation, in particular with regard to facilitating regional labour mobility.

• Build capacity across the region for government officials and investment in labour migration systems to forecast and match expected needs for national labour market needs in Libya and in Europe as to ensure the protection of migrant workers’ rights.

• Establish a web-based, job-matching system to link Egyptian job-seekers with foreign employers, comprising also a Skills Qualification Framework and training mobility scheme.

• Ensure access to durable solutions for stranded migrants in Egypt, as well as resettlement opportunities for those in need of international protection in the region.

• Support legal reform and build capacity to address irregular migration, border management and smuggling in Egypt and Tunisia, with particular attention to vulnerability and protection needs in mixed flows.

• Support institution-building and re-establishment of the rule of law in relation to migration and border management in Libya.

• Develop Standard Operating Procedures on the management of detention centres and promotion of alternatives to detention in Libya.

• Enhance government capacities in Tunisia to successfully respond to migration crises.

http://www.centresmigrants.tn

http://www.bosla-egypt.info

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCXCT8RZL3Ku-e3yDBKRplCg

https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCXCT8RZL3Ku-e3yDBKRplCg


West Africa: Regional overview

FlowsWith a fast-growing, young and increasingly urban population, West Africa is undergoing rapid changes in population dynamics which are impacting on migration patterns. The West Africa region is characterized by a long history of intraregional and interregional (mainly West Africa to North Africa) migration. West Africa has the strongest incidence of intra-regional mobility in sub-Saharan Africa, with some 70 per cent of migratory movements taking place within the subregion. Labour migration plays an important role as most of these migratory flows are primarily motivated by employment and economic factors, facilitated to some extent through the existence of free movement protocols within the ECOWAS region. Improving coordinated civil registry data management and supporting effective identity management will directly contribute to addressing both the opportunities and challenges arising from intraregional mobility and is a growing priority for ECOWAS and its Member states in the region.

The majority of countries in West Africa are characterized by a dynamic economy and high growth rates but weak socioeconomic conditions. Low wages or low purchasing power of income, lack of regular employment or underemployment, lack of opportunities or means for education are also factors driving migration in the region. Changing demographic profiles of the countries in the region have resulted in a bottom-heavy population pyramid with the proportion of the youth below thirty five reaching up to 75 per cent in some countries. The percentage of the population living in extreme poverty in those countries often reaches similar levels. Lack of opportunities for the youth is a powerful incentive for migration.

Although the great majority of migrants from West Africa are young males looking for better opportunities, highly vulnerable migrant categories are also concerned by specific flows. This is the case of many circular migration schemes within the Region (young adults migrating for seasonal work in highly dangerous sectors like mining) or consolidated migratory schemes (children from Togo and Benin to Gabon in the domestic sectors, or from neighboring countries to Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire in the fishing and in the cocoa industry, etc.). In Niger, migrants from the Region of Zinder and the villages of Matameye and Kantché are frequently single women and children who travel to Algeria and are particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Unaccompanied

migrant children are a common feature of migration flows in West Africa, often at risk of abuse, exploitation or trafficking.

One significant factor influencing the migration decisions of many migrants is the need to escape instability (social, economic, environmental or political). Security has deteriorated recently in the West Africa region, showing that States are generally poor-prepared/equipped both individually and collectively to manage crises. Conflicts in Liberia, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Central African Republic and Nigeria have hit the region over the last decade. The activities of transnational criminal and terrorist organizations (AQIM, MUJAO, Al-Sharia, Boko Haram, Al-Mulathameen Brigades) are also contributing to rising insecurity. Mali, the Central African Republic, and Nigeria are currently the main countries of origin of refugees and internally displaced persons in the region. Droughts, desertification, deforestation, rising sea level, coastal erosion and flooding have increased in occurrence and severity over the last few decades and constitute factors of instability that have contributed to displacement and growing competition for resources.

RoutesIn recent years, irregular migration from sub-Saharan Africa towards Europe has substantially increased along the Central Mediterranean route. From West Africa the main migration routes currently transit Niger through the desert city of Agadez, with many migrants then crossing the border with Libya and eventually reaching the coastal cities of Zuhara and Zawia (neighborhood of Tripoli) from where they often attempt to reach Europe via Italy. In 2015, according to the Agadez Governorate’s official figures on average 2,000 sub-Saharan migrants enter Libya irregularly each week. An estimated half of all West African migrants that arrive in Lampedusa, Italy have transited through Agadez.24 Another important, but currently less used route, transits Niger to Algeria where the economic situation is more conducive to a seasonal occupation. Migration flows along the Western route via Mauritania towards Morocco and Algeria, and eventually Spain, have decreased significantly since their peak in 2006.

In light of such mobility, West African states, previously considered as countries of origin, are also

24 The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, 2014, Smuggled Futures: The dangerous path of the migrant from Africa to Europe. The Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Geneva, Switzerland.



IOM • OIM


SPAIN

ITALY

GREECE

MALTA



Migration flows

iom.int

1,217arrivals

58,763arrivals

92arrivals

54,275arrivals


El Aiun

Agadir

Nouadhibou

Nouakchott

Dakar

Bissau

Saint Louis

Conakry

Freetown

MonroviaAbidjan


Ouagadougou

Niamey

Gao

Bamako

MarseilleSète

MahonMajorcaIbiza


TangiersAlgeciras

Malaga Almeria

Ceuta

Oujda Maghnia

MelillaAlgiers

GhardaiaOuargla

Adrar

Tamanrasset

Tessalit

Arlit

Agadez

Zinder

Kano

Dirkou

Sebha

Djanet

Illizi

Ghädamis


Sicily

Malta

Tunis

Lampedusa

Benghazi

Ajdabiya

Al Jawf /Al Kuffra

Alexandria

CairoAqaba

AmmanDamascus

Aswan

Selima

Dongola

Khartoum

Altbara

Port Sudan

KassalaAsmara

Jizan

Al Qadarif

Addis Ababa

Djibouti

Harar Burao

Bossasso

Juba

Kampala

Nairobi

Mogadishu

Beirut Baghdad

TehranArbilSemdinli

Urmia

SalmasHakkari

Van

Agri

Silopi

Homs

Ufra

Istanbul


AyvalikMurefte

Athens

Igoumenitsa

Patras

BrindisiBari

Ancona

VeniceTrieste

Bucharest

PetrichSofia

Giurgiu

Svilengrad

BojadorLemsia

Tarfaya

Tan-Tan

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

Fuerteventura

Bilma

Morocco

Mauritania

Algeria

Côte d’Ivoire

Niger

Libya Egypt

Sudan

Iraq

Iran


Ethiopia

Somalia

Kenya

Senegal

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Yemen


Turkey

Mali

Uganda

IOM presence in West Africa

becoming transit and destination countries with irregular migration and migration governance featuring prominently in the political agendas of most of the governments. Linked to this border management is another key priority for many states in the region. Cultural and ethnic groups are frequently split by borders. Governments face challenges in managing international boundaries respecting the cross border communities. Border management is often perceived as an exclusively national competence and responsibility. The resulting fragmentation in national approaches has contributed to mismatching and often incompatible border management systems and practices for countries in the region.

Policy ProcessesRelevant partnerships and consultative processes at the regional level are supporting the development of a common understanding and response to the opportunities and challenges of migration and mobility. The Migration Dialogue for West Africa (MIDWA) brings together ECOWAS Member States to discuss and seek regional solutions to common migration issues, including border management, data collection, labour migration, irregular migration, development, remittances, migrants’ rights, trafficking and smuggling, and return and reintegration.

The Rabat Process is another key regional forum that aims to create a framework for dialogue and consultation among the EU Member States and counties in North and West Africa.

IOM’s presence in West Africa


Gambia 1 Banjul 1

Cabo Verde 1 Praia 2

Ghana 4 Accra, Immuna, Sogakope, Tamale

65

Guinea 2 Conakry, Nzerekore 27

Côte d’Ivoire 4 Abidjan, Danane, Tabou, Toelepleu

28

Liberia 6 Buchanan, Gbarnga, Monrovia, Sinje,

Tubmanburg, Voinjama

87

Mali 4 Bamako, Gao, Mopti,Timbuktu

56

Mauritania 2 Nouakchott, Bassiknou

18

Niger 6 Niamey, Agadez, Arlit, Dirkou, Diffa,

Zinder

39

Nigeria 4 Abuja, Baouche, Lagos, Yobe

93

Senegal 2 Dakar, Kédougou 47

Sierra Leone 1 Freetown 68

Togo 1 Lome 2

Total 533


Under the coordination of the Regional Office for the West and Central Africa in Dakar, IOM Country Offices in selected priority countries in West Africa have identified the following operational priorities for intervention:

a. Protecting migrants’ basic rights• Establish Migrant Resource and Response

Mechanisms (MRRMs)25 in partnership with national authorities and key partners in strategic locations along migration routes and in high migration prone areas.

• Facilitate voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) assistance to stranded and vulnerable migrants in transit, including victims of trafficking, unaccompanied migrant children, and other vulnerable cases in the region.

• Support the development of processes for investigating and prosecuting traffickers in Nigeria, Senegal and Mauritania.

• Capacity-building in Humanitarian Border Management (HBM) to strengthen the capacity of governmental actors to protect the human rights of those who cross international borders, as well as to ensure the continued maintenance of the national security and economy of states affected by increased cross border flows.


• Build government capacity and provide technical assistance to develop and implement evidence-based policies including through support to data collection and analysis on key migratory routes, the socioeconomic conditions, well-being, intentions, and profiles of migrants as well as the operations of criminal networks involved in people smuggling and human trafficking.

• Support skills development and income generating activities, specifically for youth and women, in migration-prone areas.

• Promote stability and social cohesion among migrants, internally displaced and host communities, inter alia through community stability and

25 For an explanation of the MRRM please refer to page 2.

development programmes, specifically tailored to individual community contexts including community infrastructure rehabilitation and livelihood and employment initiatives.

• Support innovative socioeconomic integration initiatives linked to community development for returning nationals. Strengthen reintegration support though the provision of training and capacity-building on business management and reinforced synergies with national development programmes.


• Promote stronger and more coherent approaches to border management and improve border management capacities to collect, analyse and report data on cross border flow of people through the region.

• Promote the engagement of cross-border communities in improving border security addressing threats as well as in maximizing the development potential of border management, including trade facilitation. Considering the extreme porosity of borders in the region the engagement of border communities is crucial in the effort of promoting safe and legal migration and building confidence between border communities and border services (police or gendarmerie).

• Support travel document harmonization and enhance national and regional identity management processes to further promote safe and facilitated regional cross-border travel within the region.

• Strengthen capacities of national authorities to understand, analyse and jointly address the challenges relating to migrant smuggling along the Mediterranean route from West Africa andsupport the government of Niger for the implementation of the new law on migrant smuggling.

• Support the development of policies and programmes at all skill levels to respond to labour market realities and provide alternatives to irregular migration.

• Provide capacity-building and other technical assistance to improve educational outcomes to meet international labour market demand; to better match workers with employers domestically and internationally; to improve integrity of international recruitment chains; to develop government capacity


in labour migration management and to further promote intraregional labour mobility.

• Support the national authorities to develop a national framework to regulate AVRR in Nigeria in order to ensure sustainability. Enhance the capacity of Nigerian foreign missions abroad to process voluntary return cases.

Horn of Africa: Regional overview

FlowsMigration flows in the Horn of Africa region are highly complex and fluid, characterized by their mixed nature, with refugees, asylum-seekers, economic migrants, and other migrants using the same routes, and further complicated by the widespread operations of criminal networks facilitating dangerous land and sea crossings. Mixed migration is not a new phenomenon to the Horn of Africa. Since the rise of insecurity and the onset of civil war, following the fall of the Somalia’s Siad Barre in the early 1990s, Somalis have been departing to northern Somalia and crossing into Yemen via Hargeisa and Bosasso. Similarly, political challenges and poverty have pushed migrant populations out of Ethiopia towards Yemen, but also migrating south through Kenya to South Africa. These journeys are fraught with dangers and risks, which result in a myriad of humanitarian concerns related to irregular migration. Traditionally, mixed flows from the Horn of Africa have moved towards Yemen and other countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council; however, over the last three years (since 2012) there has been a marked increase in the use of other routes, particularly the Western Route to North Africa and across the Central Mediterranean Sea to Europe, as well as to Southern Africa.

The situation of mixed migration in the Horn of Africa is marked by high risks, dangers, documented abuse, and associated deaths at sea or on land. Large numbers of migrants are opting to move between countries in this manner, despite being aware of the risks and dangers, as research has shown. Many migrants who depart are not well-informed about the realities of the journey and many of the brokers for traffickers and smugglers are unscrupulous and coerce migrants into irregular migration. The appeal of better living conditions and employment opportunities in Europe or the Gulf countries is a strong pull factor, yet there are also significant push factors in countries of origin that drive migration. Poverty (especially

unemployment and lack of livelihoods), climate change and environmental degradation, ongoing conflict (in South Sudan, Somalia, Yemen), repressive government policies (Eritrea), instability (political, economic and food crises), influence of diaspora, and lack of regular migration channels within and outside the region, are only some of the factors that push migrants and asylum-seekers to migrate irregularly in perilous and inhumane conditions. In many regions in the Horn of Africa, a culture has developed in which it is expected that the most able-bodied child will journey abroad to send remittances home to support the family.

RoutesWhile migration from the Horn of Africa along the routes to other regions is significant, the numbers of people moving within the region remain far more important. As of December 2014, there were over 8.5 million refugees and internally displaced persons in the region. There are over 1 million Somali refugees in the region and an estimated 1.1 million IDPs. In South Sudan, more than 2 million people have been displaced (of which 1.5 million IDPs and 500,000 who have fled to neighbouring countries) since fighting broke out in December 2013. As of end May 2015, the crisis in Yemen had displaced more than 1 million people internally, with almost 30,000 people leaving Yemen for Djibouti and Somalia. Ethiopia is currently the largest refugee hosting nation in Africa (currently hosting an estimated 682,000 refugees and asylum-seekers) and is simultaneously an important country of origin with a high number of people migrating for mainly economic reasons. Kenya and Sudan also host significant numbers of refugees and asylum-seekers, respectively Kenya (585,000 refugees) and Sudan (258,226 refugees).

Policy ProcessesPolicy dialogues and cooperation frameworks on migration in the Horn of Africa include the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Routes Initiative (Khartoum Process), the IGAD Regional Consultative Process on Migration (RCP) and the Regional Mixed Migration Committee. A network of task forces on Mixed Migration has been operating since 2008 covering Somalia, Yemen, Kenya, and Djibouti. The task forces composed of humanitarian actors from civil society, the United Nations, IOM and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), as well as government representatives are organized at the country level and serve as coordinating mechanisms in the response to mixed migration.


IOM’s presence in the Horn of Africa


Djibouti 1 Djibouti City 16

Eritrea Covered by the Regional Office

Ethiopia 11 Addis Ababa, Assosa, Dire Dawa, Dollo Addo, Gambella,

Jijiga, Moyale, Semera, Sheraro, Shimelba, Shire

Endaselas

283

Kenya 8 Nairobi, Dadaab, Eldoret, Garissa,

Kakuma, Lodwar, Marsabit, Moyale

387

Somalia 6 Modadishu, Bossaso,Garowe, Hargeisa, Dobley

Nairobi (coordination office)

225

South Sudan

10 Juba, Bentiu, Bor, Maban, Malakal,

Malualkon, Renk, Tambura, Turalei,

Wau

443

Sudan 7 Khartoum, El Fasher, Nyala, El Geneina, Kassala, Kadugli,

Abyei

117

Uganda 5 Kampala, Abim, Gulu, Moroto, Nakapiripirit

62

Total 1,533

Under the coordination of the Regional Office for

East Africa and the Horn of Africa in Nairobi, IOM

Country Offices in selected priority countries in the

Horn of Africa have identified the following operational

priorities for intervention:

a. Protecting migrants’ basic rights

• Enhance or establish Migrant Resource and

Response Mechanisms (MRRMs)26 in partnership

with national authorities and key partners in

strategic locations along migration routes and in

high migration prone areas.

26 For an explanation of the MRRM please refer to page 2.

• Enhance capacity to prepare for and respond to the migration dimensions of crises. Support technical assistance on humanitarian border management (institutional and capacity-building towards improved preparedness, contingency plans, referral systems, interagency cooperation mechanisms, registration technology solutions).

• Conduct profiling exercise of protracted and fresh instances of displacement as a means of promoting effective response to the protection needs of IDPs.

• Support the Kenyan government in the implementation of the National Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons.

• Improve protection and psychosocial services available to separated and unaccompanied migrant children in the Kakuma and Dadaab refugee camps and environs.

• Strengthen migration health provisions (favourable policy and legal frameworks on migrant health, primary healthcare services for migrants in crisis situations).

• Provide direct assistance and protection to trafficked persons, smuggled migrants and other vulnerable irregular migrants, including as part of the IOM


IOM • OIM


SPAIN

ITALY

GREECE

MALTA



Migration flows

iom.int

1,217arrivals

58,763arrivals

92arrivals

54,275arrivals


El Aiun

Agadir

Nouadhibou

Nouakchott

Dakar

Bissau

Saint Louis

Conakry

Freetown

MonroviaAbidjan


Ouagadougou

Niamey

Gao

Bamako

MarseilleSète

MahonMajorcaIbiza


TangiersAlgeciras

Malaga Almeria

Ceuta

Oujda Maghnia

MelillaAlgiers

GhardaiaOuargla

Adrar

Tamanrasset

Tessalit

Arlit

Agadez

Zinder

Kano

Dirkou

Sebha

Djanet

Illizi

Ghädamis


Sicily

Malta

Tunis

Lampedusa

Benghazi

Ajdabiya

Al Jawf /Al Kuffra

Alexandria

CairoAqaba

AmmanDamascus

Aswan

Selima

Dongola

Khartoum

Altbara

Port Sudan

KassalaAsmara

Jizan

Al Qadarif

Addis Ababa

Djibouti

Harar Burao

Bossasso

Juba

Kampala

Nairobi

Mogadishu

Beirut Baghdad

TehranArbilSemdinli

Urmia

SalmasHakkari

Van

Agri

Silopi

Homs

Ufra

Istanbul


AyvalikMurefte

Athens

Igoumenitsa

Patras

BrindisiBari

Ancona

VeniceTrieste

Bucharest

PetrichSofia

Giurgiu

Svilengrad

BojadorLemsia

Tarfaya

Tan-Tan

Tenerife

Gran Canaria

Fuerteventura

Bilma

Morocco

Mauritania

Algeria

Côte d’Ivoire

Niger

Libya Egypt

Sudan

Iraq

Iran


Ethiopia

Somalia

Kenya

Senegal

Saudi Arabia

Jordan

Yemen


Turkey

Mali

Uganda

IOM presence in the Horn of Africa


-UN 2015–2017 Joint Strategy to Address Human Trafficking, Kidnappings and Smuggling of Persons in Sudan.


• Strengthen migration data collection and management at national and regional level through capacity-building to national migration authorities and the IGAD Commission on data collection and management and the development of migration profiles. Continue data collection on mixed migration on existing and emerging routes in partnership with the Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat (RMMS).

• Enhance the development potential of remittances: facilitate the development of policies and mechanisms that improve remittance services to migrants.

• Facilitate the return of qualified/skilled nationals to contribute towards the development of both public and private sectors through the transfer of knowledge (brain gain), institutional capacity development and investment in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan.

• Provide technical support for local and central authorities to improve basic service delivery and support community-based recovery and development activities.

• Support livelihoods programming and community development initiatives aimed at:

• Reintegration of returnees;

• Reducing unemployment, particularly youth unemployment, in migration and conflict affected communities.

• Support durable solutions for IDPs in Ethiopia in line with the IOM Five-Year Strategy.

• Conduct diaspora mapping in major destination countries in order to obtain data on the number, profiles and engagement interests of members of the diaspora and plan diaspora engagement interventions accordingly.


• Support implementation of priority initiatives in the context of the EU Regional Development and Protection Programme for the Horn of Africa.

• For migrants who are not found eligible for international protection, facilitate access to assisted voluntary return and reintegration in countries of origin, taking into due consideration the needs of the most vulnerable groups (elderly people, migrants with health conditions, victims of trafficking, etc.).

• Build sustainable capacity and enhance coordination of relevant national actors working on areas of labour migration management with the view to contribute towards strengthening protection to labour migrants by ensuring that regular migration channels are efficient, cost-effective, less bureaucratic and transparent.

• Promote and facilitate the elaboration, adoption and implementation of counter migrant smuggling policies, legislation and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

• Build capacity for law enforcement and border agencies to establish effective border control and identity management and improve selected land, sea, and/or airports (improved physical infrastructure, systems, and equipment).

• Improve capacity of frontline law enforcement officials and other relevant government institutions (Attorney General’s Office) to detect and investigate human trafficking and migrant smuggling; to refer vulnerable migrants for appropriate assistance; and to prepare evidence on human trafficking and migrant smuggling cases for referral to prosecutorial authorities.

International Organization for Migration (IOM)Organisation internationale pour les migrations (OIM)Organización Internacional para las Migraciones (OIM)

IOM Regional Office for the EEA, EU and NATO40, rue Montoyer 1000 Brussels - BelgiumTel.: +32 2 287 70 00Fax: +32 2 287 70 06E-mail: [email protected]: eea.iom.int

http://eea.iom.int

Documents

Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan · 2020-04-30 · Addressing Complex Migration Flows in the Mediterranean: IOM Response Plan 3 1. Protecting