Promoting safe, orderly and regular migration from and within the Horn of Africa

Context

The countries in the Horn of Africa Region are as much places of origin, transit and destination for people who left their homes. According to the UN there are some 5.7 million migrants in the region (2023). In addition, the number of refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons (IDPs) rose to around 18 million. Most of the migrants move within the region.

Often out of necessity, many travel irregularly, meaning without a visa or valid papers and with the risky support of smugglers to facilitate their journey. Their vulnerability makes them easy targets to human traffickers. To make migration safe and legal and protect people on the move, the countries in the Horn of Africa need improved infrastructure, legal frameworks and know-how.

Objective

National authorities and institutions manage safe, orderly and regular migration by applying a human rights-based approach, and address human trafficking.

Approach

The programme operates in three interconnected components:

1. Supporting migration governance in order to create the legal principles and framework for regionally coordinated migration management. For example, the project assists representatives of government and civil society organisations to regulate work and residence rights for migrants and develop national migration laws.