Protecting Migrants

The Safety, Support and Solution in the Central Mediterranean (SSS 2) programme  supports migrants in very vulnerable situations and host communities by providing services, such as shelter, food, non-food items  and health care, including essential items specifically for women and children care. IOM also trained those who work directly with vulnerable migrants, such as healthcare workers and government officials, enhancing their overall understanding of how to support migrant populations. With the onset of COVID-19, IOM adapted its programming to ensure migrants were safe and advocated with governments to ensure migrants were included in the COV-19 national responses.

IOM shelters have provided critical assistance to migrants in vulnerable situations along the Central Mediterranean Route.

Key Achievements

• A Migrant Resource and Response Centre was set up Senegal, where 1,993 migrants have been sheltered and offered access to reintegration support.  
• Two dedicated shelters for women who are survivors of trafficking and the shelters are the only one of their kind in Mali and have hosted 626 people. 
• In Guinea, a Migrant Welcome Centre was renovated to host returning migrants and to date 629 people have been assisted here. 
• In Burkina Faso, two transit centres have been rehabilitated, one in Bobo Dioulasso, one in Dori; a total of 1,950 people have been sheltered. 
• Two migrant shelters were supported in Niger, hosting a total of 805 people. The shelters included space for unaccompanied migrant children, as well as families.