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Emergency Trust Fund for Africa
News article26 March 2020

Better Migration Management programme continues after successful first phase: 174,600 migrants and potential migrants reached through outreach activities

Djibouti
EU

During its first phase, the Better Migration Management programme (BMM) reached more than 174,600 migrants and potential migrants through public events in the Horn of Africa and trained more than 16,600 government and civil society representatives. It provided direct support to victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants, capacity building and training to governments to find regional solutions to halt the smuggling and trafficking of people, as well information campaigns on the dangers of irregular migration and pathways to regular migration. In view of its achievements, the BMM, the first phase of which has ended in September 2019, will continue its regional work in the field of migration management until 2022, with a second phase. These are some of the main results of its first phase:

Coordinating policies to counter human trafficking and smuggling

The East and Horn of Africa borders are some of the busiest in the world, as they cut across key migration routes to Europe, Southern Africa, and the Gulf countries. The BMM supports partner country governments in establishing a coherent approach to managing migration and to addressing trafficking in and smuggling of migrants. For example, the BMM has supported Kenya and South Sudan in developing a migration policy focusing on the legal and institutional framework on free movement and border management, in line with international conventions and protocols.

Supporting institutions to counter human trafficking and migration management

Throughout the first phase of the BMM, more than 16,600 government and civil society representatives participated in workshops, trainings, roundtable discussions. Among them, more than 1,648 representatives from the judiciary from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda have received training on investigation and prosecution of trafficking and smuggling cases. Additionally, over 2,100 first responders from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Sudan, and Uganda have received training on identification and referral of vulnerable migrants and victims of trafficking.

Protection and support

The BMM programme helps identify, assist, and protect victims of human trafficking and vulnerable smuggled migrants, especially women and children and other vulnerable groups. So far, over 18,200 trafficked victims and vulnerable migrants have been assisted with protection services, such as accommodation, basic services, and counselling. Over 9,000 of these were provided with accommodation, basic services and counselling. Thanks to the BMM’s mobile health units, more than 6,700 migrants were supported.

Providing information and advice on safe, legal migration routes, and employment opportunities

So far, over 174,600 migrants and potential migrants have been reached through public events. The BMM also provides information on safe migration paths. For example, last year, the programme developed a booklet aimed at Ethiopian university and graduate students as well as young professionals, who may be interested in continuing their education abroad.

About the Better Migration Management programme:

The BMM programme, worth €81 million for phases I and II (€70 million EU contribution, €11 million contribution from the Federal Ministry for of Economic Cooperation and Development of Germany), aims to improve migration management in the region, and in particular to address the trafficking and smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa. The priority is to strengthen the rights of migrants and to protect them from violence, abuse and exploitation.

Details

Publication date
26 March 2020
Region and Country
Regional Horn of Africa
Thematic
Improved migration management
Partner
GIZ

Programmes in the region

Better Migration Management Programme

The overall objective is to improve migration management in the region, and in particular to curb the trafficking of human beings and the smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa.

Research and Evidence Facility

The specific objectives will be to collate, synthesize and disseminate the outcomes of existing and new research and evidence related to instability, irregular migration and forced displacement in the Horn of Africa; to communicate the outcomes of existing and new research and evidence to, and share

Towards Free Movement and Transhumance in the IGAD region

The specific objectives of the project are:(I) to support the process of adoption, ratification and domestication of the IGAD Protocols on Free Movement of Persons and on Transhumance by IGAD Member States upon their adoption by IGAD Council of Ministers, along with complementary measures to...