Sustainable Reintegration support to Ethiopian returnees from Europe and support to vulnerable displaced populations affected by COVID19

The issue of migration and reintegration is becoming a priority for the Government of Ethiopia (GoE). With the increase in migration flows from Ethiopia over the past decade, return and reintegration is becoming an increasing salient issue with many Ethiopian nationals coming back to Ethiopia.

At the same time, the COVID-19 pandemic is deeply affecting the social and economic texture of almost all countries in the world. In Ethiopia, immediate and adverse consequences are being felt especially by the most vulnerable groups, like returnees, refugees, IDPs, stranded migrants and host populations already living in dire conditions and without proper access to basic services, food and clean water.

The Government of Ethiopia has requested IOM and other partners to provide support and enhance its preparedness to face the COVID-19 crisis by coordinating migrants returns and reintegration, increase health and WASH facilities and livelihood support to displaced and local populations in need. Considering the low numbers of returns from Europe in the first two years of project implementation and in light of the current need to respond to the COVID-19, part of the action’s funds will be used to enable ARRA to better assist vulnerable displaced populations – both refugees and returnees – by providing better services in heavily affected areas.

Main objectives

The overall objective of the action is to support the sustainable reintegration of Ethiopian returnees from Europe and ultimately contribute to the development of a National Reintegration System for Ethiopia, and to provide ARRA with the necessary financial, human and technical resources to enhance services for and address the needs of vulnerable displaced populations in Ethiopia facing the COVID-19 pandemic.

The specific objectives of the action are:

1) Facilitated sustainable economic, social and psychosocial individual and community-based reintegration of Ethiopian returnees in communities of return; and

2) Enhanced organisational and technical capacity of ARRA and relevant stakeholders to implement their mandate on reintegration, and to operationalise a sustainable reintegration mechanism/framework in the country. 3) Improved services and infrastructures for displaced populations (returnees and refugees) and their communities in quarantine or affected by COVID-19 pandemic.

Contracts

Administration for Refugees and Returnees Affairs

EUR 15 000 000

Sustainable reintegration support to Ethiopian returnees from Europe and support to vulnerable displaced populations affected by COVID-19

Action Fiche