The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Social Development and Disaster Management (FMHDSD), has launched a new project targeted towards the protection and assistance of people on the move, addressing issues of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, dignified return and sustainable reintegration.
The project “Cooperation on Migration and Partnership for a Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS)” is a global initiative that seeks to assist individuals while working across all levels: households, communities and the wider communities through a whole-of-society approach.
IOM Nigeria Head of Migrant Protection and Assistance, Saskia Kok, explained that the initiative will enhance reintegration of returnees and curb trafficking in Nigeria.
“Protection, assistance, sustainable reintegration and empowerment of migrants and their families, is at the centre of this project. Stranded migrants returning to Nigeria often have limited access to income-generating activities and opportunities to integrate back into their communities. At the community level, this initiative will work with local structures to ensure sustainable reintegration support to returned migrants and vulnerable groups while addressing the issue of trafficking and smuggling of migrants through integrated community efforts. Also help vulnerable migrants, particularly victims of trafficking (VoT), as well as unaccompanied children migrant will be able to access a wide range of protection and assistance services, from mental and psychosocial support to information on safe migration”.
Ms. Kok, added that IOM and partners will continue to help returnees have a safe migration with an increased knowledge that would strengthen migration governance.
“IOM, together with its partners has implemented a wide variety of programmes that contribute to advancing migration management capacities in the country, including through joint EU-IOM actions projects funded by the Government of the Netherlands, UK, Germany, Switzerland; which includes, the review, revision and operationalization of relevant policies, such as The Migration Policy, Labor Migration Policy, Diaspora Policy for the protection and assistance for VoTs, and their action plans in Nigeria through a Victim Centered Approach, an SOP on RRR was also revised and validated to outline the responsibilities of all actors in the return and reintegration process; we worked with NAPTIP, in the area of Migration Management in ensuring effective coordination of migration in Nigeria, and for keeping a forward-looking perspective, irrespective of persisting challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic”.
According to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Haijya Sadiya Umar Faraok, who was represented by Mr. Ali Grema, Director of Humanitarian Affairs, noted that
“The Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs Social Development and Disaster Management (FMHDSD) is delighted to launch the implementation of the COMPASS project in collaborations with IOM, which clearly shows the commitment of the Federal Government of Nigeria in tackling emerging challenges that may risk the livelihoods of returned migrants while ensuring their protection in the country”,
The Secretary, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, as the donor to the COMPASS initiative, Ms. Eva de Wit, stressed that the best way to approach migration in a comprehensive an ecological way is taking every individual and context in to account having common access to change knowledge based flexible programme is crucial to address all complexity that comes with migration and migration policy this is the best way to work and it fit our Dutch focus on knowledge base programming and knowledge based learning to contribute to better informed migration policies and management. Which our ministry pledges its active support to partner countries, to improve migration cooperation mechanisms in the long-term.
Nigeria, along with other countries including Afghanistan, Chad, Egypt, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Iraq, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Niger, have partnered in the global implementation of the COMPASS project.
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