MRF NAIROBI BULLETIN

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1 MRF NAIROBI BULLETIN INSIDE THIS ISSUE: V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 6 J U N E IOM and UN Partners Push for a Regional Policy to Ease Cross Border Movements for Pastoralists Relief as IOM Tanzania facilitates the Return of Stranded Ethiopian Migrants Kenyan Somali Pastoralists promote culture for Alternative Livelihoods Tanzanian Immigration Officials Undergo Training on Border Management HIV/AIDS and its effect on Migration: Tanzania Assesses the Vulnerability of Mobile populations IOM Sudan initiates Work to Counter Human Trafficking Stakeholders Network Meeting on Human Trafficking held in Nairobi IOM Joins Refugees in Kenya to Mark World Refugee Day Regional Representative, MRF Nairobi, holds a consultative meeting with Local SAC International Organization for Migration Mission with Regional Functions For Eastern Africa, Church Road, Off Rhapta Road, Westlands PO Box Nairobi, KENYA Phone: /174 Fax: mrfnairobi@iom.int IOM, UN-OCHA, UNEP AND ISS PUSH FOR REGIONAL POLICY TO EASE PASTORALISTS CROSS BORDER MOVEMENTS Jerotich Seii Houlding, IOM s Emergency and Post Crisis Project Manager addresses participants at the launch on the Security in Mobility (SIM) for Pastoralist across the Horn and East Africa On 29 June 2010, Security in Mobility (SIM), an interagency collaboration between the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN- OCHA), United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Institute for Security Studies (ISS), launched in Nairobi an assessment report on the impact of climate change and adaptation strategies being implored by pastoralist communities. The report entitled Advocating for Safe Movement as a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Pastoralists in the Horn and East Africa was a result of consultative assessments with local communities and their leaders in Kenya s cross border regions undertaken between January 2009 and June Regions visited for the assessment included the Maasai, Karamoja and Somali clusters which share borders with Tanzania, Uganda and the Sudan, and Somalia and Ethiopia respectively. The SIM initiative also advocates for an integrated approach to respond to humanitarian and development needs in pastoral communities. The Security in Mobility Approach for intervention calls for response to pastoralist issues through an inter-agency collaboration so as to ensure the provision of humanitarian assistance; provision of basic services; facilitated migration, and comprehensive security initiatives. The assessments revealed that: 1) climate change was causing unpredictable and extreme weather patterns and influencing mobility patterns amongst pastoralist communities; 2) insecurity in pastoralists border regions had increased; 3) some local governments facilitated cross-border mobility especially during drought; 4) movement of people was usually associated with conflict; and 5) pastoralists were frustrated with humanitarian aid and wanted sustainable solutions. The inter-agency team is calling on the governments in the Horn and East Africa to facilitate safe movements of pastoralists in cross border regions as a climate change-coping mechanism. The effects of climate change and its impact on pastoral communities are now more evident than ever, and evidence points to increased migration and conflict over scarce resources. The lack of preparedness and relevant response to natural disasters has left millions in need of humanitarian assistance. According to the UN-OCHA, close to 10 million people faced starvation in Kenya in 2009, of which three million were pastoralists. The launching ceremony of the SIM report was attended by more than 100 participants from Kenya and around the region, among them pastoralist community leaders, senior government representatives, members of the diplomatic corps, NGO and various UN agency representatives. Heads of agencies follow proceeding at the launch on the Security in Mobility for Pastoralist across the Horn and East Africa

2 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 6 P A G E 2 RELIEF AS IOM FACILITATES THE RETURN OF ETHIOPIAN MIGRANTS IN TANZANIA Mixed feelings could easily be read on the faces of voluntary returnees in the departure lounge of the airport of Dar es Salaam, relieved at the prospect of going home and anxious about what awaits them there. Hussien is one among thousands of Ethiopians that left his home in search of better livelihood in South Africa. Along with other young men from his village, smugglers had assured him that the journey would be safe and short if he paid the required USD 3,000. Hussien s journey was difficult, similar to that of thousands of migrants who use irregular means to migrate to another country. It included weeks on foot and on board of old trucks transported like cargo, waiting at smugglers' hideouts with constant threats and beatings, days of boat trips without food or water, only to be caught by border officials in the Tanzanian hinterlands and abandoned by the smugglers. With long return procedures, after many months of detention before proper nationality verification, it took Hussien more than a year to return to his country. On arrival, Hussien learnt that his wife had also left for the Middle East leaving their two children in a relatives' care. With tears, Hussien said he is grateful for the support that afforded him the chance to finally see his children again. He is eager to press charges against the village smuggler who is still amassing his fortune by spreading erroneous information. Although my dream of making a fortune abroad is shattered, I will never resort to migrating illegally again and I will advise all who are willing to migrate to do so legally no matter what it takes!" Says Hussien. In close coordination between the Ethiopian government and the Tanzanian government, IOM in Tanzania is facilitating the return of stranded Ethiopian migrants in Tanzania, back to Ethiopia. IOM has so far facilitated the return of over 1,000 smuggled migrants. IOM has since mid 2009 assisted in transportation, pre-departure medical assessment, a night s accommodation on arrival as well as return packages to the voluntary returnees. IOM's intervention followed the request of the Tanzanian Government in its effort to respond to the much needed support that enabled the return of nearly 1,000 stranded Ethiopians from Tanzania. The return was made possible with funding from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Addis Ababa as part of an emergency response to the increasing numbers of Ethiopians detained in Tanzania as illegal migrants and the extreme conditions they were facing in Tanzanian prisons. Further assistance is ongoing with funding from the government of Japan. The assessment report released by IOM in 2009 on the irregular movement of men from East Africa and the Horn to South Africa indicates that close to 17,000 20,000 are smuggled every year through Tanzania and other countries, even though some never reach their destinations. 17,000 20,000: Approximate Number of Migrants that are Smuggled every year through Tanzania Once the current return assistance is completed, there will be no funding available to return newcomers; IOM sees the need to reach out further to communities in the areas of origin through tailored information dissemination and youth livelihood programs while addressing the broader regional migration management challenges in the intermediate and long terms.

3 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 IOM PARTNERS WITH THE KENYAN MINISTRY OF STATE FOR NATIONAL HERITAGE AND CULTURE TO ASSIST SOMALI PASTORALIST COMMUNITY PAGE 3 TANZANIAN IMMIGRATION OFFICERS UNDERGO TRAINING ON BORDER MANAGEMENT Somali pastoralists in North Eastern Kenya are increasingly losing their main source of livelihood due to drought and other factors, and are vulnerable to risks associated with irregular migration such as human trafficking and smuggling, according to an IOM research assessment. The assessment conducted in 2009 aimed to determine and document sources of livelihood for former pastoralists or drop outs, as well as to profile their vulnerability, while recommending alternative sources of livelihood. The study shows that some of the drop outs who have been forced to migrate from their rural homes into urban centres in search of a better life, become susceptible to low income jobs due to lack of skills and education. As a result, they are faced with inadequate access to food, water, healthcare, stable housing structures, and other basic needs. In response to this situation and as a prevention mechanism to irregular migration and human trafficking, IOM, in partnership with the Kenyan Ministry of State for National Heritage and Culture, has set up a Somali Community Cultural Centre in Garissa District of North Eastern Province to provide an alternative means of livelihood to this vulnerable group. This multi-purpose centre will enable the community to preserve their culture while showcasing various Somali traditional items, as well as bring neighbouring communities together. The venue will also provide space where recreational activities can be carried out, and where open forums to discuss various issues such as irregular migration and human trafficking will be conducted. The centre will also support skill development for the pastoralist drop-outs through various trainings. In early 2010, twenty identified pastoralist drop outs received training on handcrafts weaving. Weaving takes approximately 1-2 days to complete and sells for approximately 5,000 shillings. The group is able to sell on 2 mats a week. The centre was established with funding from Japan Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) and is an activity under an overall programme, Integrated Response to Food Insecure Vulnerable Families in the Rift Valley and the Northern Regions of Kenya, that aims to mitigate negative impacts of food insecurity on affected families and other vulnerable groups through three components; re-establishment of livelihoods, countering human trafficking and fostering an environment of peace building. Participants of the border management training pose for a group photo The African Capacity Building Centre in Moshi, Tanzania held a five day training of trainers (ToT) session in early June for six immigration officers from Kagera, Kigoma, Mwanza and Mara Regions. The training was conducted at the Tanzania Regional Immigration Training Academy (TRITA) and was delivered with the participation of the trainers of the Academy in synergy with other IOM projects in Tanzania. The training, which builds on the framework of the activities of a cross-border approach project between member states of the East African Community (Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda), Capacity Building for Border Management, provided the participants with basic knowledge on various aspects of a ToT such as objectives and principles of a training, methodological approach to such a training, challenges of a training and checklist a trainer needs to follow before, during and after the session. The curriculum is based on the first ToT held in Kibondo on February The participants went through various sessions aimed at increasing their capacity in passport and travel document verification procedures, challenges of the implementation of the free movement of persons protocol within the EAC (Article 7 of the Protocol on the Establishment of the East African Community Common Market), face recognition methodology, knowledge on security printing and features, and border management. At the end of the training, a thorough evaluation was conducted which addressed all aspects of the programme. This evaluation consisted of a written assessment in which the participants evaluated individually the main topics of the course and in particular on how to identify the security features within a travel document, such as the watermark, security fibres, and the techniques needed to clearly recognize the imitations The center allows the pastoralists to tap into their creativity and earn a living in the process

4 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 PAGE 4 IOM TANZANIA HOSTS A NATIONAL CONSULTATION ON HIV/AIDS AND MIGRATION On 1st and 2nd June IOM Tanzania hosted a country consultation on the HIV vulnerabilities faced by mobile populations and border communities in Tanzania. The consultation, co-hosted by the Immigration Department, Ministry of Home Affairs and the Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS), brought together key players from the government, civil society, international and regional organizations and development partners, to share best practices in responding to HIV, mobile populations in border areas. In a show of the government s commitment to addressing issues on HIV/AIDS and migration, the event saw attendance by H.E Philip Sang ka Marmo (MP) Minister of State in the Office of the Prime Minister, (Policy, Coordination and Parliamentary Affairs) and the Hon. Ambassador Khamis Sued Kagasheki, Deputy Minister of Home Affairs. In his opening remarks the Minister of State emphasised the need for paying special attention and tailoring interventions to border zones and mobile populations that are not covered by the general HIV/AIDS response. The consultation had a high attendance with 70 representatives from Government authorities all over Tanzania, especially from border zones as well as IOM representatives from Geneva, South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda. (From Left to Right) Greg Irving from MRF Nairobi, Tanzania s Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Hon. Sang ka Marmo, Tanzania Minister of State in the office of the Prime Minister, Amb. Khamis Sued Kagasheki and IOM Tanzania s Chief of Mission Par Liljert follow the proceedings of the national consultation on Migration The United Republic of Tanzania borders eight African countries and has a vast coastline towards the Indian Ocean, which forms an entry and exit site for cargo ships, national and foreign seafarers. The Port of Dar es Salaam is one of the larger ports in Southern Africa and links regional transport corridors of Southern and Eastern Africa. Along the land and lake lines Tanzania borders Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. The borders are often subjected to large movements due to conflicts but are also common trade routes for businessmen, truck drivers, fishermen and other vendors. With respect to these populations, particular HIV vulnerabilities have been recognised for uniformed personnel, truck drivers, fishermen, seafarers and other groups that either cross borders or reside in adjacent areas. A rapid field assessment, carried out in early 2010 by IOM and the Immigration Department, looking at the health situation in the border areas, in particular HIV and AIDS,, identify border and lake areas as hotspot areas for HIV and AIDS: high HIV prevalence is combined with high risk sexual behaviours with multiple concurrent partners and low condoms use. Previous studies show that HIV prevalence may be up to four times higher than the national average, meaning that every fifth person in the age group is HIV positive. Moreover, findings from the field assessment also show that 59% of the uniformed staff and 52% of men from border/ mobile populations had two or more sexual partners, which is almost three times higher than the average number of sex partners among the general population as noted in the national THIMS survey from Furthermore, 55 % of the interviewed men who currently have two or more partners said they never used a condom in the past month. The assessment also found that border areas have comparatively low access to HIV prevention, care and treatment services, which shows upon a gap in the national and regional responses to the epidemic. These hot spots may contribute significantly to fuelling the approximately new infections a year in Tanzania.

5 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 6 STAKEHOLDERS NETWORK MEETING ON HUMAN TRAFFICKING P A G E 5 IOM INITIATES WORK ON COUNTER TRAFFICKING IN SUDAN Deliberation session at the stakeholders network meeting on human trafficking IOM Nairobi last month hosted the fourteenth stakeholders network meeting on human trafficking in Nairobi. The meeting was attended by representatives from various government ministries including the Ministry of Labour and Human Resource Development, State Law office, Ministry of Education, Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, International Organizations and Civil Society partners. The members discussed the progress of the Counter Trafficking in Persons Bill 2010, which was recently read a second time in parliament and is presently at the committee stage, where members will deliberate and agree on all parts of the bill and make suggestions for amendment to the mover Hon Millie Odhiambo. The drafting of the bill was a collaborative process between IOM, CRADLE a civil society partner, The Attorney Generals Office, UNODC and other state and none state actors. The National Plan of Action (NPA) to Combat Human Trafficking progress and way forward also constituted part of the discussions. The NPA focuses on prevention, protection and prosecution. It has been adopted by the National Steering Committee on Human Trafficking chaired by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development. The secretary of children affairs Prof. Jackline Oduol will spear head a small technical committee to initialize a strategy for implementation. IOM highlighted achievements for 2009 and planned activities for In 2009, MRF Nairobi s Emergency Post Crisis Unit conducted a successful awareness raising campaign Kaa Chonjo targeting areas and groups affected by the post election violence following the 2007 general elections. Additionally IOM was able to operationalize a partnership agreement between the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, and Child line Kenya to provide helpline services to vulnerable groups in North Eastern Province, and implemented activities to enhance livelihood opportunities for vulnerable groups through establishment of various facilities such as a cultural centre in Garissa. This year s activities include the development of a visual training aid on human trafficking and stakeholders were called upon to provide their valuable input. The Ministry of Education emphasized their commitment to combat human trafficking, and willingness to work with partners to reach pupils and teachers. The Ministry is currently rolling out a gender, guidance and counselling programme. Members concluded by discussing the importance of complementing each others awareness raising efforts and activities and sharing of resources to the extent possible. IOM and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), with the support of the Government of the United Kingdom, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and the Sudan Center for Migration, Development and Population Studies, organized an Intergovernmental Forum in Khartoum to discuss Trafficking in Persons last month. The trafficking forum brought together senior government officials from both the Government of Sudan and the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS), representing the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Social Welfare, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Labour, GoSS Regional Cooperation, and the National Intelligence and Security Services. The forum provided an opportunity for senior government officials to discuss the international crime of trafficking in persons, and agree on how the problem can be tackled effectively in Sudan. After a series of presentations, participants were divided into working groups to propose possible next steps that could be taken according to the 3P approach: to prevent trafficking in persons, protect victims of the trade, and prosecute its perpetrators. The working groups proposed the establishment of an interagency task team to coordinate efforts to combat human trafficking; in depth analysis on the specifics of the problem in Sudan; public awareness; capacity building for government officials and the media; and legislative amendments to ensure the protection of victims of trafficking. From left to right) Major General Adam Daleel, Assistant to the Dir. of Sudan Police Forces for Immigration, Passport, and Civil Registration; Prof. Ahadi Abdul Samad, Dir. Of Sudan Centre for Migration, Development, and Population Studies; Mr. Karar Al Tohani, Secretary General of the Secretariat for Sudanese Working Abroad of the Council of Ministers; Mrs. Jill Helke, Chief of Mission IOM Sudan Estimates of the global scale of human trafficking vary between 800,000 and 4 million people trafficked or in a trafficking situation annually, both internationally and within the borders of their own countries. It is estimated that trafficking brings an annual profit of $32 billion to criminal groups. Common abuses experienced by trafficked persons include rape, torture, debt bondage, unlawful confinement, and threats against their families. IOM Sudan works closely with governmental institutions and international organizations in combating trafficking within a wider context of managing migration. Since 1997, IOM has assisted approximately 20,000 trafficked persons in 85 countries worldwide.

6 VOLUME 3, ISSUE 6 PAGE 6 IOM JOINS REFUGEES IN KENYA TO MARK THE WORLD REFUGEE DAY World Refugee Day, commemorated around the globe on June 20th, was celebrated in Kenya through a colorful event at the National Museums of Kenya. This year s theme, Home, was marked with the message They took my home, but they can t take my future. With Kenya hosting the largest number of refugees in the world, IOM joined the refugee community and other organizations working with refugees to mark this day in honor of the refugee population. The event was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons, Emmanuel Kisombe, the Head of the Department of Refugee Affairs, Peter Kusimba, government officials, representatives from UNHCR, WFP, IOM and other I/NGOs, and members of the public. Refugee performance groups from Somalia, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, and Congo entertained the crowd with messages advocating for peace, acceptance and support to the refugee community is Kenya. IOM s Lucas Ndagwa describe IOM s services to refugees to the PS. in the Ministry of Immigration and Registration of Persons, Hon. Emmanuel Kisombe and the Head of Department of Refugee Affairs, Peter Kusimba. Looking on is IOM s Kimondo Nyawira and Zacharia Moseti IOM was able to showcase the services the organization offers to refugees, self paying migrants and internally displaced persons. Services offered include resettlement (movement, cultural orientation, and pre-departure medical assessments to refugees), relocation of refugees from Dadaab to Kakuma, provision of shelter and livelihoods for peace and reconciliation to IDPs, and human trafficking awareness to IDPs and refugees. We know the devastating impact of being displaced. Nothing states the resilience of the refugees than this theme message as one thing is important that there is a future Emmanuel Kisombe, PS, Ministry of Immigration and Registration of Persons IOM also joined and shared lunch with the migrants in transit at the IOM Transit Centre in Nairobi. Children in transit had an opportunity to play at the vast Uhuru Gardens Park and had their faces painted. Millions of refugees and IDPs have been forced to give up their homes and livelihoods and IOM is working towards ensuring the orderly and humane management of migration and providing humanitarian assistance to migrants in need, be they refugees, displaced persons or other uprooted people. MRF NAIROBI S REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE HOLDS A CONSULTATIVE MEETING WITH THE LOCAL STAFF ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE IOM Kenya s local staff association committee (SAC) last month held a consultative meeting with the Regional Representative Mr. Ashraf El Nour, to discuss local staff welfare and deliberate on ways to help achieve maximum staff output. The session between Mr. El Nour and the newly elected SAC officials reviewed the growth and continuity of the mission, especially in view of the IOM structural review. The SAC officials made several requests in an effort to revive the staff welfare body and make it more efficient. Among these were; the need to have SAC perform the observatory role during staff recruitment to ensure transparency in recruitment, issues pertaining to staff contracts, proper communication of new policies from management, training/capacity building opportunities for local staff and team building activities for all staff. Moreover, the SAC officials presented the need to acquire administrative office, in order to be able to separate official duties and SAC duties. I am pleased to note that SAC is back to life. I strongly encourage staff growth and welfare and I am available to help address challenges that affect IOM staff in this mission. Said Mr. Ashraf El Nour Consultative session between the regional representative Mr. El Nour (center) and IOM Nairobi SAC officials Mr El Nour welcomed SAC s role as an observer during staff recruitment, adding that it was important for SAC to understand the employment policy for the local staff in order to ensure a balanced office, for a healthy working environment. I encourage constructive and healthy SAC engagement that will foster good understanding and solidarity among staff. He added.

7 V O L U M E 3, I S S U E 6 IOM NAIROBI OPERATIONS STAFF PARTICIPATE IN ANTI FRAUD TRAINING P A G E 7 IOM Nairobi s Operations staff last month partook in a capacity building exercise that sought to expand IOM s knowledge on document inspection and imposter detection while processing travel documents. The training that was organized by the Canadian High Commission in Kenya benefited 26 IOM staff from the Data Entry, Operations, and Airport Operations Units. The training was conducted by the Canadian High Commission s Migration Integrity Officer, a Consular Investigator from the U.S. Embassy Fraud Prevention Unit in Nairobi, and the Immigration Attaché from the Norwegian Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The first part of the training focused on basic security features that can be found in travel documents and reviewed the common types of fraud that are perpetrated using falsified documents. The second part of the training focused on recognizing substitutes and impostor detection. The training covered techniques on how to assess a person s facial features against the travel document during a face-check and how to identify characteristic facial features that are unique to each individual. The impostor detection segment of the training ended with a challenging practical test where appearances of a document holder were compared with an actual traveler, who in some cases turned out to be an impostor. Operations staffs were grateful for their newly acquired skills, while appreciating how difficult detecting impostors can be. At the conclusion of the training, the Canadian High Commission donated two ultra-violet (UV) lamps and 10 loupe magnifying tools for use by IOM MRF Nairobi. MRF NAIROBI RESUMES REFUGEE RESETTLEMENT FROM DJIBOUTI TO THE USA AFTER A DECADE Almost a decade after the resettlement programme halted in Djibouti, MRF Nairobi facilitated the movement of 66 migrants to the USA. These departures were carried out in groups comprised of 30, 29, and seven individuals respectively. The departure of these 66 individuals is just the beginning of the departures expected to take place from Djibouti to the USA. Projections indicate over 300 individuals will be resettled from Djibouti to the USA during this fiscal year, with anticipated departures peaking in the months of July and August. Coordinating resettlement out of Djibouti has proven logistically challenging for IOM Operations due to the prevailing situation with airline carriers in Djibouti. There is only one flight option each week from Djibouti to Nairobi, where IOM passengers transit prior to onward travel to the USA. This flight departs Djibouti at 2:50 am. and arrives in Nairobi at 5:30 am. Passengers then spend the entire day in transit at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) before boarding their flight in the evening at approximately 11:45 p.m., making the day of travel an exhausting one for both the clients and the IOM operations staff who support the movement at the points of departure and transit. IOM Operations staffs at JKIA provide operational support to these long transits by taking clients for meals at the airport transit restaurant, providing snacks and water prepared by the IOM Transit Center, ensuring clients are checked in and their bags are tagged for onward travel, monitoring the clients, and boarding of passengers for their flight out of Nairobi. These movements are accompanied by an IOM escort from Nairobi to the point of entry in the USA in order to ensure a smooth travel and transit experience for the clients. There is only one flight option from Djibouti to Nairobi each week. The days of travel can be long and the clients and IOM operations staff are exhausted at the end of the day. Separately, IOM resettled 92 Somali refugees from the Emukulu refugee camp in Eritrea to Canada and Norway. Eritrea has always had a tedious exit process and this time was no exception. The clients had to be moved from one government office to the next in a bid to acquire exit permits. The documentation process also proved challenging, due to the number of refugees that were being cleared to travel. The personnel at Asmara Airport are not accustomed to such volume of work within the operating hours of the airport which only opens 2 ½ hours before departure time. Transit at Frankfurt went on smoothly, despite the long layover.