VIS, together with partners "COOPI" and "Mani Tese", will implement the project "Investing in the future: protection, formation and employment for returning migrants, potential migrants and unaccompanied minor migrants in Senegal, Gambia and Guinea Bissau."
In concrete terms, work will be carried out in the aforesaid three countries with the aim of contributing to the improvement of the living conditions of young people at risk of irregular migration, of vulnerable returning migrants and of children in mobility, in order to contribute to the reduction of irregular migration from these territories, which constitute the main migratory corridors leading to Mali, Mauritania and from there to the routes of traffickers through North Africa up to Spain and Italy.
These are regions affected by food insecurity, high exposure to risks associated with climate change, drought and floods, and alarming poverty rates that have generated significant flows of internal migration, as well as significant loss of workforce.
For this reason, the project will mainly intervene in three areas of action. First, it wants to foster the practical and theoretical skills of young people so that they are adapted to the needs of the labor market, and this through the supply of scholarships and work grants, as well as basic "kits" that will allow participants to start micro-enterprises in strategic sectors.
Secondly, the project will deal with strengthening the existing formal and informal mechanisms that deal with the psycho-social care of vulnerable returning migrants and children in mobility. It will also provide directly for, through local professionals, psycho-social assistance aimed at reintegration into the community.
Lastly, the aim is to inform and raise awareness among young people not only on the risks of irregular migration, but also and above all on the possibilities offered by their territories of origin; this will be done through a series of radio campaigns and cultural events such as theatrical performances and film screenings and debates locally as well as in Italy.
Source: VIS
