Cairo, 31 July 2019 – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Egypt organized this week a charter assisting 114 stranded Sudanese nationals in Egypt to  return home. The passengers included 18 families, single mothers, and more than 50 children, many of whom have been living in Egypt for several years. Those selected for the special charter return were of particular vulnerability.

IOM Egypt staff managed to assist those on the charter with medical treatments to ensure that all immediate needs were accommodated during and after the charter, as well as assessments in Sudan to ensure their safe and sustainable return.

IOM Chief of Mission to the Arab Republic of Egypt, Mr. Laurent De Boeck, said in a statement: “The successful return of over 100 vulnerable Sudanese migrants through this inaugural charter with our voluntary return and reintegration programme is reflective of IOM’s global mission to secure the voluntary, safe and humane return of migrants who are stranded or in need of assistance in their returns. This movement was the combined efforts of IOM and the unfailing support of the Governments of Egypt and Sudan. IOM Egypt seeks to ensure safe and dignified returns for those who go through our programmes, and our team works hard to prioritize those most vulnerable and provide support the sustainable return to the community of origin.”

The charter was made possible by the contributions of the Government of Germany, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the Government of Italy. In the lead up to the departure and up to the departure gate, the Sudanese community in Cairo demonstrated their strength and support, helping those leaving with transportation, luggage, documents, and looking after children.

In the months following their arrival, the returnees will work with IOM to create a sustainable reintegration plan, which will include either education activities, medical assistance or an income-generating activity such as a small business or livestock. Reintegration assistance is carefully planned between the returnee and the IOM mission to make use of the skills and experience of the person so that the intervention can help them rebuild a sustainable livelihood in their communities of origin.

This collaboration supports the achievement of the National Strategies for Combatting Illegal Migration and Trafficking in Persons of Egypt, as well as the Global Compact for Migration (Objective 7: Address and reduce vulnerabilities in migration, Objective 16: Empower migrants and societies to realize full inclusion and social cohesion, Objective 21: Cooperate in facilitating safe and dignified return and readmission, as well as sustainable reintegration), and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies, Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships), and Egypt’s Vision 2030 (Social Justice indicator 2: Institutionalizing the partnership between the state and the civil society, Social Justice indicator 3: Developing and expanding the role of state authorities concerned with transparency and protection).

For more information, please contact Omar Awwad at IOM Egypt, Tel: +20 1032 049 144; Email: oawwad@iom.int