Addis Ababa:Ethiopia is making migration management a top priority by enhancing its institutional frameworks and collaborating with various stakeholders, as stated by the Prevention of Trafficking in Persons and Returnees Affairs.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, Chief Executive Officer Dereje Tegyebelu emphasized the significance of partnerships in Ethiopia, which have transcended individual projects to bolster institutions, policies, and coordination mechanisms. Dereje highlighted the necessity for national migration priorities to be firmly rooted in government institutions and national systems, asserting that effective partnerships are a strategic investment in national institutional capacity and human dignity protection.
The CEO committed to ensuring that Ethiopia continues to lead in migration governance, aligning external support with national policies. IOM-Ethiopia Chief of Mission Abibatou Wane underscored the value of sustained cooperation over the five years of the COMPASS initiative, which has linked policy with the realities faced by people and communities. Wane emphasized the multifaceted nature of migration, which encompasses protection, employment, and community aspirations, and noted that no single institution can address these dimensions alone.
Netherlands Ambassador to Ethiopia, Christine Pirenne, pointed to tangible outcomes such as the Overseas Employment Proclamation and community-based reintegration programs. She shared insights from a visit to a poultry-farming project in Jimma Zone, where returnees and aspiring migrants expressed that local livelihood opportunities influenced their decisions against irregular migration. Pirenne noted that a small IOM grant, local government support, and individual determination had fostered a self-sustaining business.
COMPASS represents a strategic cooperation between IOM and the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, operating in 14 countries to enhance migration governance and safeguard migrant rights.
