MARCH - MAY 2016 QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER NO. 4 IOM MAURITANIA A view of the PK55 border crossing point located north of the coastal city of Nouadhibou. ©IOM/F. Giordani 2015 CONTENTS IOM opens four new border posts in Southern Mauritania ....................................................... 2 IOM trains Mauritanian journalists on how to report on migration and trafficking ............. 3 IOM builds new slaughtering facility in the M’Béra Refugees Camp ........................................ 5 Immigration and border management in Mauritania and in the Sahel ..................................... 7 Progress in Adala’s integrated farm ................................................................................................ 12 First AVRR beneficiaries return to heir home countries .......................................................... 13 IOM constructs a border post along the Mauritania - Mali border ....................................... 14 IOM opens four new border posts in Southern Mauritania On March 11, 2016, commissioned in the pres- Because of its geographi- IOM inaugurated four new ence of guests including cal position, the porosity border posts in Southern the Deputy Governor of of its borders, and bilateral Mauritania as part of the the Gorgol region, repre- agreements on exemption activities of the project sentatives from the Mau- of visa requirements, the “Strengthening migration ritanian Gendarmerie, the Islamic Republic of Mauri- management in Maurita- European Union Delega- tania, like most West Afri- nia through a better bor- tion in Mauritania, IOM can countries is faced with der management strategy staff, as well as students increased migration flows and assistance to irregular and families from sur- which affect not only the migrants” funded by the rounding areas. migrants, but their coun- European Union. tries of origin, their transit These four border posts and destination countries, The new border posts will greatly contribute to both positively and nega- of Sagné, Hammod, El enhancing Mauritania’s tively. Melgué and Tenaha built migration and border by IOM Mauritania were management capacities. Photos: ©IOM/B. Malum 2016 With funding from the European Union: The new border posts of Sagne, El Melgue, Hammod and Tenaha will strengthen the Mauritanian gov- ernment’ migration and border management capacity as well as contribute to increasing security for residents in those towns. March - May 2016 2 No. 4 The construction of the border posts is part of a 34-month project funded by the European Union and implemented by IOM Mauritania in direct collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior and Decentralisation (MIDEC) and for the ben- efit of the Mauritanian Gendarmerie. The project aims to strengthen management of migratory flows in Mauritania through better border control and assistance to irregular migrants in Mauritania. Below is a picture of the newly con- structed border post of El Melgue. The new border posts are fully equipped with solar panels and a generator to ensure continuous work even during power outages. March - May 2016 3 No. 4 IOM trains Mauritanian journalists on how to report on migration and trafficking context against trafficking in persons to encourage accurate reporting and to empower civil society ac- tors to take action against the phenomenon. The workshops span the entire duration of the pro- ject (until February 2017) and are divided into two parts: the first part - which is ongoing - focuses on sensitising Mauritanian journalists on migration, migrants’ rights and mi- grant’s protection so jour- nalists have a better under- standing of the challenges faced by migrants and the legal recommendations to Nouakchott, Mauritania, March 2016 - IOM Nouakchott Chief of Mission Anke STRAUSS introduces IOM’s work in Mauritania to journalists attending the first training workshop organized by IOM to address them. The second strengthen the knowledge and reporting capacities of Mauritanian journalists on migration-related part, scheduled to start issues. ©IOM/M. Boyd 2016 in September, will invite journalists develop writ- Journalists and the It also includes capaci- The training workshops ing skills by participating in media have focused the ty-building components organized by IOM in coop- practical workshops. world’s attention on the for the benefit of journal- eration with UN partners plight of migrants, refu- ists, border officials and in Mauritania , namely the Further activities are gees and victims of traf- the judiciary; and provid- Office of the United Na- scheduled as part of the ficking in persons around ing direct assistance to vic- tions High Commissioner project’ sensitization -ef the globe. It is because of tims of trafficking. for Human Rights (OHCHR), forts, including the devel- the key role the media play the International Labor opment of a sensitization in educating citizens about Findings from a study on Organization (ILO) and campaign, the develop- migration issues that jour- trafficking in persons con- the United Nations High ment of a comic strip car- nalists are at the heart ducted as part of a previ- Commission for Refugees toon on human traffick- of the project “Under- ous phase of the project (UNHCR), are designed to ing in Mauritania and the standing and addressing revealed an information fill this gap and will give organization of training trafficking in persons in gap on the issue of traf- Mauritanian journalists a workshops for border and Mauritania” implemented ficking in persons in Mau- better grasp of the legal judiciary officials. by IOM Nouakchott with ritania. As a result, media funding from the Govern- outlets did not adequately ment of the Federal Re- report on the issue. The With funding from the Government of public of Germany. study further revealed that the Federal Republic of Germany: Mauritanians were una- The 12-month phase ware of the country’s legal aims at increasing aware- frameworks for combat- ness in local communities ting trafficking in persons, of the dangers and effects such as the 2003 anti-traf- of trafficking in persons. ficking law. March - May 2016 4 No. 4 IOM builds new slaughter facility in the M’Béra Refugees Camp The M’bera Refugee Camp finally has its own operational slaughter- house. The hygiene in the camp and the refugees’ health will greatly bene- fit from this installation, which has been built and equipped thanks to fund- ing from the Government of the United States. The inauguration of the slaugh- terhouse took place on Thursday, 26 March 2016 in the presence of the Hakem of Bassikounou, the inspector from the Ministry for Cattle Farm- ing, humanitarian partners and members from the butchers association. The new slaughter facility will contribute to increasing hygiene standards as well as refugees’ health in Southeastern Mauritania. ©IOM 2016 IOM is present in the livestock farming are some The new slaughter fa- conditions of slaughtering region through a project of the main sources of food cility includes a slaugh- practices that are more aimed at combating food for the refugees and the terhouse equipped with a frequent in the camp. The insecurity and increas- local residents. However, water supply and a sewage butchers who manage the ing livelihood opportu- the unsanitary conditions drainage system, as well slaughterhouse will be nities for the Malian ref- in which slaughtering prac- as essential slaughtering trained and supervised ugees who have settled tices take place increases tools and a dumpster to by a representative of the in Southeast Mauritania the chances of the spread dispose of animal excre- Ministry for Cattle Farming since 2012, as well as the of bacteria and puts both ment and waste. It will to ensure the respect of local communities hosting cattle and residents at risk contribute to increasing hygiene standards during them. Cattle-breeding and of diseases such as dys- the hygiene and health the slaughtering process. entery. With funding from the Government of the United States of America: IOM, humanitarian partners and government authorities inaugurate the new slaughter facility in M’bera. ©IOM 2016 March - May 2016 5 No. 4 andIMMI Border ManagementGRAT (IBM)ION in Mauritania and in the Sahel Since the opening of the mission in 2006, IOM Mau- ritania has implemented Technical Cooperation (TC) projects including Immigration and Border Manage- ment (IBM) components. IOM Nouakchott’s IBM ac- tivities have been directed at helping the Islamic Re- public of Mauritania, as well as other Sahel states, create policy, administrative and operational struc- tures, and systems to adequately respond to the var- ious migration challenges faced by Mauritania and its Sahel neighbors. These activities include, among other things, the construction and rehabilitation of border posts, the training of border officials and the strengthening of bilateral and regional cooperation IMMIGRATION through training workshops aimed at encouraging humanitarian border management practices. Left: Police officers take part in a border man- agement training session organised by IOM with funding from the European Union. Down: A Mauritanian police officers works on a data collection spreadsheet designed by IOM in partnership with the Mauritanian police to assist police officers in collecting key informa- tion on migrants and travellers at Mauritania’s borders. Photo credits: © IOM Left: IOM staff Operational Assistance visit the construc- tion site of the new Fassala-Néré The Sahel represents one of the most border post built