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

Project description

Title: Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme in the Horn of Africa
Commissioned by: German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)
Co-funded by: European Union
Countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda
Lead executing agency: British Council, CIVIPOL, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). In phase I, Expertise France and the Italian Department of Public Security were also implementing partners. GIZ coordinates programme implementation.
Overall term: 2016 to 2025

Context

The countries in the Horn of Africa region are key places of origin, transit and destination for refugees and migrants who have left their homes. UNHCR estimates that there are around 5,7 million migrants in the Horn of Africa (UN, 2021), 51 per cent of whom are on the move within the region. Often out of necessity, many travel irregularly with no visa or valid papers, frequently turning to smugglers to facilitate their journey. This puts them at great risk, for example making them a target for human traffickers. A lack of infrastructure, legal frameworks and know-how hamper the countries in the Horn of Africa in managing safe and legal migration.

Objective

The overall objective of the project is to enable national authorities and institutions to facilitate safe, orderly, and regular migration and address human trafficking by applying a human rights-based approach.

Approach

The BMM programme supports the countries in the Horn of Africa in three interconnected components: 1) Developing/revising national migration policies and legislation in line with international standards; 2) Countering human trafficking and smuggling of migrants; 3) Improving protection and assistance for victims of trafficking and vulnerable migrants.

BMM supports the countries in creating the political framework required for safe and legal migration in the region, for example regulating work and residence rights for migrants and enabling witness protection for victims of human trafficking. In addition, to date more than 9,000 officials and employees from civil society organisations have taking part in training to improve migration management and curb human trafficking and smuggling in the region. This includes, among others, staff from human rights commissions, investigators and law officers. The programme is also working to improve the protection of migrants and victims of human trafficking. For example, almost 7,000 employees from authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have received training to enhance and expand the services they offer, such as health and psychosocial care and legal advice. So far, BMM has reached around 52.8 million people through information campaigns and public events in the countries of the Horn of Africa, providing information about the risks of irregular migration, legal alternatives and migrants’ rights.

Last Update: April 2022