By Fatoumata Joof
The Ministry of Interior in partnership with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) The Gambia with funding from the Switzerland Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, has launched the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) capacity building for Government of The Gambia project. The project aims to strengthen the capacities of about 40 government officials directly involved in return and reintegration in The Gambia by equipping them with the needed skills and resources on managing return and reintegration.
The launching was held at a local hotel in Senegambia on the 28th of November, 2022.
The Chief of Mission of IOM The Gambia, Ms. Fumiko Nagano said IOM and government of The Gambia under the overall guidance of the Ministry of Interior as the lead of the National Coordination Mechanism on Migration (NCM) Thematic Working Group on return and reintegration, has been working closely to build the capacities of government stakeholders on return and reintegration for more than five years.
She said IOM seeks to support The Gambian authorities to improve their coordination procedures and structures concerning return and reintegration of returnees.
The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Mr. Assan Tangara said the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration ( AVRR) capacity building for the Government of The Gambia Project has been developed as a result of a series of consultations with key government officials through the Thematic Working Group on Return and Reintegration to identify capacity building needs for effective and efficient return and reintegration service delivery and management. PS Tangara stated that the project aims to help strengthen the capacities of those government officials directly involved in Return and Reintegration in The Gambia by equipping them with better skills, knowledge and resources on managing return and reintegration.
“This will be done through training, mentoring and international exchange visits to learn best practices in return and reintegration governance and management. This will result in a better understanding of needs of returnees in The Gambia and equip those directly involved in the return and reintegration journey and alignment of reintegration assistance with local communities and national development priorities,’’ he said.
The First Secretary on Migration, Switzerland -Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Regula Hardegger said she is optimistic that this project will add value to the work of the stakeholders involved in return and reintegration of migrant returnees. She encouraged government to identify relevant officials to participate in the project.
