In Sierra Leone, 459 returned migrants, including 126 women, have successfully completed a tailored Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme designed to support dignified and durable reintegration. The initiative provided market-relevant skills and entrepreneurship tools, enabling participants to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
Graduates were trained across diverse demand-driven sectors such as solar installation, ICT, hospitality, tailoring, cosmetology, automobile maintenance, electrical installation, and civil construction. Alongside technical instruction, they received training in financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and business management, equipping them with both practical skills and the confidence to apply them.
The programme directly addresses Sierra Leone’s pressing challenge of irregular migration, which the 2025 Status of the Youth Report identified as being driven primarily by lack of economic opportunity. By equipping returnees with market-responsive skills, the initiative supports national priorities on youth employment and economic inclusion.
IOM Sierra Leone emphasized that reintegration requires more than immediate support—it depends on access to market-driven skills and decent employment. Through this programme, returned migrants are empowered to contribute meaningfully to their communities, reduce risks of irregular migration, and expand sustainable livelihood pathways.
Following graduation, participants will receive tailored economic reintegration support and mentorship in business development. IOM and the National Youth Commission are also working to establish private sector partnerships to facilitate internships and job placements, creating pathways into self-employment and decent work.
The programme is implemented by IOM in partnership with the National Youth Commission and the Ministry of Youth Affairs, with support from the European Union through the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration programme for Sub-Saharan Africa (MPRR-SSA). Since its launch in Sierra Leone in 2022, MPRR-SSA has supported over 2,560 young people, contributing to the growth of micro and small enterprises, strengthening community resilience, and advancing safe and regular migration as a cornerstone of inclusive development.
