Faces of reintegration in the Sahel and Lake Chad. PROTECT, ASSIST, EMPOWER.

The EU-IOM Joint Initiative enables migrants who decide to return to their countries of origin to do so in a safe and dignified way, in full respect of international human rights standards. Once back in their countries, reintegration assistance helps returnees restart their lives through an integrated approach that seeks to address their economic, social and psychosocial needs. At the same time, the communities of the returnees are included in the reintegration process. A multi-actor coordination has proven key to ensure effective and comprehensive reintegration: governments, civil societies, private sector, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and other international organizations have joined forces to harmonize and maximize the reintegration assistance provided in target countries. 

At the heart of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative are the thousands of resilient individuals who decided to return and re-establish their lives in their countries of origin, with the support of their communities. In this booklet, IOM would like to present their faces, their stories and how the assistance received through the EU-IOM Joint Initiative made a difference in their lives.