150 Beninese migrants repatriated from Algeria as part of a voluntary return

They landed at Cotonou airport on a charter flight arranged as part of a voluntary return operation carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), in partnership with the Beninese government and funded by the European Union.

Among these migrants are 132 men, 18 women and 12 children, all of whom for years have faced the precariousness linked to their irregular status: informal jobs, difficult housing conditions, constant instability and the ever-present threat of arrest.

Upon their arrival, medical, social and administrative teams immediately took charge of them for initial care, identification and referral.

The IOM reminds that many of these migrants had left the country hoping to improve their situation, but found themselves confronting a reality much harsher than expected.

This voluntary return programme opens up a new prospect for them. The UN agency announces reintegration support, including psychosocial assistance, advice to rebuild their life plans and, in some cases, support for economic reinsertion.

This operation marks a new step in migration management and in the fight against the dangerous routes taken by many young people seeking opportunities abroad.