Sierra Leonean Ambassador to Cairo, accredited to Libya Tunisia, Sudan, and Chad His Excellency Sadiq Silla went to Tunisia on a seven-day visit from 5-13 July 2024. He began his tour by visiting the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Tunisia. This visit comes on the backdrop of the Embassy’s desire to negotiate with the humanitarian organization to facilitate the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) of around 50 Sierra Leoneans from Tunisia to their country Sierra Leone

In a meeting with IOM Tunisia, Mr. Azuz Samri, Chief of Mission pronounced that the IOM’s “Assisted voluntary humanitarian return and reintegration program” provides free return flights to migrants and helps them reintegrate into their home countries.

These Sierra Leonean migrants ventured to Tunisia in the hopes of crossing to Europe but have been faced with serious anti-migrant policies aimed at countering illegal migration, rights issues and other worsened living conditions due to lack of proper residential documents, deprivation of jobs and prevention from renting apartments which has forced many to live in makeshift structures are primarily eager to return to Sierra Leone.

Ambassador Silla was approached by eight people in Tunis, nine people in Mednin, one in Zarzis, four in Tataoune and Tunis respectively, who expressed willingness to return voluntarily, Reported by Mona Zaghloul, Secretary to the Ambassador.

Ambassador Silla reaffirmed the Embassy’s position of continued diplomacy between Sierra Leone and IOM on the issues of voluntary repartition. He averred that the people are anxious for breakthroughs in the engagement. The ambassador was optimistic that he would continue the strategic alliance with IOM in a bid to help illegal migrants in Egypt, and the countries of accreditation access the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) to Sierra Leone, which he is considered a vital approach within migration governance.