EU-IOM Joint Initiative

for Migrant Protection and Reintegration

An explosion in Mogadishu cost Mohamed* his business, forcing him to head back to the drawing board.

He had returned to Somalia in May 2018, at the age of 22. His dream of getting to Europe collapsed in one of Libya’s detention centres, and he feels lucky to have come out alive.

“The reason why I had migrated was to have better opportunities such as work, education, a better living standard, and to change the living conditions of my family, especially my mother who suffered a lot to care for me and my siblings,” he said.

With support from the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration in the Horn of Africa he set up a grocery business in early 2019.

However, an unexpected attack carried out by an extremist group destroyed his business and put on hold many of his plans. He escaped with no permanent injuries, although people died. The blast left Mohamed with no source of income, prompting him to throw his lot with his mother who ran her own store.

“My mother has a grocery business located in a populated area in the street near our home,” he said. “Her customers mostly come from within the neighbourhood and with not many shops around the area the customers are quite many. There are many regular customers who collect items on a monthly basis on credit and pay their debt at the end of the month.”

Even then, this was not an easy way out, now least because Mohamed had to assist in providing for several family members. He had become beholden to them especially as he realised upon his return that they had had to borrow a lot of money to help pay for his trip.

Yet the hardest part about returning to Somalia was having to live with the unfulfilled dream of becoming well-to-do, and even wealthy. In addition to the stigma of being viewed as a failed migrant, Mohamed also struggled with mistrust. “Whenever I ask for support from the community, they think I want to re-migrate again,” he said.

A small respite came when he was among those who received food from a distribution organised by the EU-IOM Joint Initiative in July 2020. The assistance was meant to address the basic needs of returnees in vulnerable situations following the outbreak of COVID-19.

While looking for a job opportunity at a time of diminished economic activity due to the pandemic, Mohamed continued to work in his mother’s business which had remained operational despite the restrictions.

In November 2020, his prospects began to look up. He received a USD1,200 cash assistance to plough into a new business.

Under the EU-IOM Joint Initiative, second level assistance for reintegration is provided only in the case of loss due to unforeseen circumstances, either man-made or due to a natural disaster. This is availed when case managers have carried out an accurate vulnerability assessment to confirm specific needs and eligibility for additional support.

“IOM is committed to supporting the reintegration journey of returnees like Mohamed. There are circumstances that are outside our control, like what happened to his shop. Acknowledging that, we strive to ensure that everyone receives the same opportunities upon their return to restart their lives,” said Isaac Munyae, Coordinator of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative in Somalia.

A month after receiving the cash assistance, Mohamed was back in business. This is allowing him to support his large family, composed of three boys, five girls, one elderly member and two with physical disabilities. “I am working as a sole entrepreneur in a densely populated area known as Sanaa Junction and my business is doing great,” he said.

Now wiser, not only on account of his age but more so due to his experiences, Mohamed sees migration differently. If there was anything he’d want to say to young Somalis, “my message for them is never to risk your life on something that is nearly impossible. Many have failed to realise their dreams on irregular migration, many lost their lives, and some of them got life-threatening illnesses and injuries.”

When young Somalis like Mohamed migrate towards Europe, they often follow the Northern Route, crossing into Sudan and Libya with the intention of continuing by sea, which makes the trip one of the most dangerous migration journeys in the world.

About the EU-IOM Joint Initiative

Launched in December 2016 and funded by the European Union (EU) Emergency Trust Fund for Africa, the programme brings together 26 African countries of the Sahel and Lake Chad region, the Horn of Africa, and North Africa, the EU and IOM around the goal of ensuring migration is safer, more informed and better governed for both migrants and their communities.

*Name changed to protect the identity of the individual