Thematic meeting on sustainable return & reintegration of returnees kicks off in Addis Ababa

Addis Ababa, February 19, 2025 (FMC) — Stakeholders, senior officials, and experts from the countries along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe as well as EU and the African Union Commission gather in Addis Ababa for two-day thematic meeting on sustainable return and reintegration of returnees

Co-hosted by Ethiopia and Switzerland, the conference kicked off in Addis Ababa this morning followed by presentations of experiences on migration management from Khartoum Process member states.

Dubbed as Thematic Meeting on Sustainable Return and Reintegration – A Partnership Approach to Lasting Solutions for Returnees and their Communities, the conference is said to be a platform to share experiences, assess initiatives and programs, explore comprehensive collaboration, as well as foster collaboration among stakeholders.

The event brought together high-level government officials from member states of the EU-Horn of Africa Migration Route Initiative (Khartoum Process), African Union Commission, European Union Commission, among others.

In his opening remarks, State Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ethiopia, Ambassador Mesganu, stressed that migration is a global issue that calls for open dialogue among all stakeholders to find lasting solutions.

Calling for collaboration among Khartoum Process members states and countries that share borders to manage migration, the state minister noted that collaboration should begin with an honest discussion on the pushing and pulling factors.

The opening session of the conference saw keynote speakers stressing the importance of providing suitable job opportunities and facilitate investment opportunities for returnees to ensure their self-sufficiency.

Head of Region Pan-Africa at International Centre for Migration Policy Development, Ms. Monica Zanette, noted that the conference is vital to discuss legal and operational challenges as well as other aspects of migration.

She emphasized that reintegration of returnees should extend beyond stability and self-sufficiency of returnees.

Meanwhile, Ms. Crisitna Probst-Lopez, Head of International Cooperation at the State Secretariat for Migration of Switzerland, said that returning of migrants can also be challenging that reguires cooperation for sustainable reintegration process.

The Khartoum Process is a platform for political cooperation amongst the countries along the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe. It aims at establishing a continuous dialogue for enhanced cooperation on migration and mobility.

The process also seeks to support member states in identifying concrete projects to address trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants and other migration-related areas. Additionally, the Khartoum Process gives a new impetus to the regional collaboration between countries of origin, transit and destination regarding the migration route between the Horn of Africa and Europe.