Pretoria – The International Organization for Migration (IOM), through its Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) initiative, has supported the voluntary return of 53 Malawians Vulnerable to Violence, from Durban, South Africa to Malawi.

Following the outbreak of violence in KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, where several Malawian nationals were also affected and left stranded, IOM, through its AVRR project, stepped in to provide voluntary return assistance to those who expressed willingness to return to their country of origin.

IOM’s AVRR project, which is implemented in South Africa, Malawi, and Mozambique, has so far assisted 232 Malawians and 126 Mozambicans from South Africa to their respective countries of origin since June 2018.

“This support extends on our global commitment to provide humanitarian assistance to stranded migrants, asylum seekers who decide not to pursue their claims, and internally displaced people. The situation in Durban exposed migrants to violence, and IOM, as the UN Migration Agency, undertook the initiative to provide an option for those who no longer felt safe, and thus wished to voluntarily return home to Malawi,” said Lily Sanya, Chief of Mission for IOM South Africa.

19 migrants landed in Lilongwe on Monday (8 April), 23 more on Tuesday (9 April), and the last 11 arrived on Friday (12 April). These movements have been coordinated by IOM, in close conjunction with the Governments of South Africa and Malawi. The returnees will also benefit from reintegration assistance within the framework of the Pilot Action on Voluntary Return and Sustainable Community-Based Reintegration project funded by the European Union (EU-DEVCO).

AVRR is an essential part of a comprehensive approach to migration management aimed at orderly and humane return and reintegration of migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in host countries and wish to return voluntarily to their countries of origin.  

IOM’s efforts to provide voluntary return to vulnerable migrants are ongoing, fulfilling the organization’s mandate to promote humane and orderly migration worldwide.

For more information, please contact Ntokozo Mahlangu, nmahlangu@iom.int - +27 72 833 4225