By: Hassan Osman Kargbo
In a ground breaking development, One hundred and forty nine (149) Sierra Leoneans Migrants have returned to Sierra Leone from Niger.
This event took place on Thursday 28 March, 2024, at the Freetown International Airport in the presence of the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, and he was accompanied by his colleague Minister, the Minister of Employment Labour and Social Security, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, to welcome the 149 one hundred and forty nine Sierra Leonean migrants from Agadez, Niger, to Sierra Leone.
The coming of those migrants was supported by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) under its Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Program to facilitate the return of those Sierra Leoneans who had voluntarily agreed to come back home.
It’s important to note that, IOM Sierra Leone, overseen by the West and Central Africa Regional Office, operates with a focus on executing country-specific programs aligned with the strategic priorities of the region. Since signing a cooperation agreement with the Government of the Republic of Sierra Leone in April 2001, IOM has actively engaged in diverse migration management and migration governance efforts in Sierra Leone. The Organization concentrates on various projects aimed at addressing migration needs, challenges and promoting sustainable development, with a broader objective of fostering safe, orderly, and well-managed migration in Sierra Leone.
Addressing the returnee from Niger, the Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone, welcomed them home saying, and noted that Sierra Leone is the only place they called home and they need to work so that the country could be a better place for everyone. “Land that we love our Sierra Leone,” he said
He thanked the IOM, EU, UN, and partners for their continued support to the Government of Sierra Leone and encouraged the returnees to put the country first above all; underlining that Sierra Leone’s interest should be bigger than any individual interest.
Minister Bah implored them to join the fight against the K2 drug (Kush) and to also use their voices to raise awareness on irregular migration in order to help save the future of the country. “As ambassadors for other young Sierra Leoneans,” Minister Bah underscored, “You are expected to join the government in the development of the country”.
He expressed government’s commitment to always work with IOM through their reintegration process.
Mohamed Kamara one of the returnees from Niger thank the government and the IOM body for their great commitment in ensuring that they returned safely in Sierra Leone.
“I’m glad to return to my country and on behalf of my colleagues I want to thank the government and the IOM body for everything and I am looking forward to a fresh start in Sierra Leone because I have been away for almost one year now; as a result I need to put myself together for me to start new life,” he noted.
