U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daniel Barker MIXED MIGRATION HORN OF AFRICA IOM IN ACTION “THIS PROJECT AIMS rights violations, food • Over 100 coastguards from TO ENHANCE THE insecurity and desire Djibouti, Somaliland and PROTECTION OF for better economic MMTF Puntland have received MIGRANTS FROM SOUTH opportunities. These are strategy capacity building skills to CENTRAL SOMALIA AND the features that gives enhance protection for and ETHIOPIA WHO TRAVEL these movements its recommends help save migrant lives. THROUGH ETHIOPIA, “mixed” character. Many an expansion • Over 50 immigration officials SOMALILAND, PUNTLAND migrants die during the of coordinated from Djibouti, Somaliland AND DJIBOUTI THROUGH journey, while others are humanitarian and Puntland were trained THE GULF OF ADEN TO subjected to abuse at the interventions in order in the latest immigration YEMEN.” hands of smugglers. to improve human rights procedures. protection for migrants • IOM has provided Assisted The Overview To address the protection and refugees. Voluntary Return and Every year, tens of problems faced by the Reintegration (AVR) for thousands of migrants Ethiopian and Somali IOM response migrants in Somaliland and and refugees make the migrants, internally IOM focuses its response Puntland especially the hazardous journey from displaced persons and both on the identification most vulnerable, including their place of origin asylum seekers, a Mixed and combat of irregular women, (unaccompanied) (primarily the Ogaden, Migration Task Force and harmful forms children and victims of Ethiopia and South (MMTF) was established of migration such as trafficking. Central Somalia), through in April 2007, under smuggling and human • There is continuous the North East region the auspices of the trafficking as well as on operational and capacity of Somalia, Puntland, Inter-Agency Standing the opportunities of building support of the Djibouti and onwards Committee (IASC), co- migration, such as labour Migration Response Centers across the Gulf of Aden chaired by IOM and migration, resettlement in Somaliland, Puntland and - in makeshift boats, UNHCR. Each member and diaspora Djibouti. operated by unscrupulous of the task force engagement. • IOM is part of a Regional smugglers. operates in view of its Committees and contributes respective mandate actively to the Mixed Why are they Moving? while cooperating and Migration Task Force. The push factors include: coordinating with other conflict, flight from task force members and persecution and human relevant stakeholders. The Programme Components 4. Regional Consultative Process 1. Outreach and Advocacy The first meeting of the Regional Committee on Mixed Migration In Somaliland and Puntland, IOM works in partnership with dif- was held in Addis Ababa, 13-14 December 2011 by the Govern- ferent organizations including local NGOs to carry out outreach ments of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Puntland, Somaliland and Yemen, and awareness campaigns on the risks and dangers of irregular implementing their decision to establish the Committee, taken migration among both migrant and host communities. They also at a Regional Consultation on Mixed Migration held in Djibouti, conduct trainings on migrants’ rights and protection for tradi- 1-2 December 2011. Representatives of other interested gov- tional leaders. ernments observed, including from Japan, Saudi Arabia, the UK and the USA. Several intergovernmental organizations were also 2. Capacity Building for Local Authorities and Local Partners represented, including IOM, who assisted the hosts to organize the meeting, the United Nations High Commission for Refugees In Djibouti, some 80 authority representatives from various min- (UNHCR), and the African Union. istries including, Interior and Justice, as well as the National Po- lice, Gendarmerie, Immigration and the Army have been trained The meeting focused on three themes which included rescue in migration management issues including specifically tailored at sea and coast guards training, smuggling and trafficking, and key mixed migration issues covering migrant rights, international MRCs, and from the discussions the following recommendations law, migrant protection and counter human trafficking. were adopted: Over 100 coastguards from Djibouti, Somaliland and Puntland • For rescue-at-sea, more coast guard capacity building and have received hands on training for rescue-at-sea operations as material assistance, more awareness raising and assistance well as theoretical training on migrants rights to enhance their for victims, national action plans and cross border data is capacity to protect and save migrants lives in their respective re- needed. This work needs greater political support among gions. governments in the sub-region. • Regarding smuggling and trafficking of migrants, livelihoods Additionally, all staff operating in the Migration Response Cen- creation and awareness raising are priorities. A sub regional ters (MRC) in Hargeisa, Somaliland, Bosasso, Puntland and Ob- mechanism(s) is needed for information; training; a study on ock, Djibouti undergo regular training on key mixed migration is- legislation, extradition treaties and harmonization of laws, sues that they are faced with on a daily basis. In Somaliland and including on freezing of assets of smugglers and traffickers. Puntland, some 100 community leaders have attended and were Participants are encouraged to accede to the Palermo pro- trained in two-day workshops covering mixed migration issues tocol and related international instruments. More resources and ways in which they can assist to contribute and convey ways also need to be mobilized. to assist and protect migrants. • Creation of more Migration Response Centres was request- ed in a number of locations, with an increased emphasis on medical services, family unification and voluntary return of 3. Emergency Assistance including Assisted Voluntary Return (AVR) vulnerable migrants. In Somalia and Djibouti, IOM provides emergency assistance in In February 2012 a follow-up meeting was held with high level the framework of the MMTF actions and in coordination with Puntland officials to discuss a Puntland specific action plan in MRC. The emergency assistance consists in Non Food Items line with the recommendations made at Regional Committee (NFIs), medical assistance, referral and Assisted Voluntary Re- meeting. The following recommendations were adopted: turn (AVR). Since 2010 IOM has assisted a total of 1,500 vulner- able migrants to return voluntarily to Ethiopia from Somaliland • For rescue-at-sea, more coast guard capacity building and and Puntland. material assistance, more awareness raising and assistance for victims, and a National Action Plan within policy build- ing plans and cross-border agreements before migrants get WE ASSIST: to the sea while on migration route are needed. It was also discussed that there is need for increased outreach migrant • Irregular migrants processing centres, mobile teams, border centres, enforce- ment police stations (Garowe and Galcayo). • Trafficked persons • Regarding smuggling and trafficking of migrants, capac- ity building for existing committee for anti-trafficking and smuggling needs to be strengthened through engagement, • IDPs training and the provision of investigation equipment. Provi- sions of additional funding to the committee for activities outside information campaigns, increased implementation of the legislation framework which exists in the wider Soma- lia constitution and a review and adoption of the Palermo MANAGING MIGRATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL protocol for Puntland were also discussed. • Regarding the Migration Response Centers (MRC’s), it was International Organization for Migration Kenya Mission with Coordinating Functions for the Horn of Africa agreed that additional MRCs are needed in Garowe and Gal- Church Road – off Rhapta Road, Westlands cayo. PO Box 55040 – 00200, Nairobi, Kenya 5. Medium to long-term regional approaches Tel: +254 20 444 4174 Email: [email protected] In Somalia and Yemen, IOM actively contributes to the MMTF through practical support (hosting secretariat in Yemen) as well www.nairobi.iom.int as publication, data collection and researches (Regional Study JUNE 2012 on Mixed Migration through Somalia and across the Gulf of Aden, AUC, 2010). .