Returning migrants receive agricultural training in Agadez, Niger

By Monica Chiriac and Maria Veger/IOM Niger

Agadez, Niger – Since December 2018, migrants staying at UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) transit center have been undertaking training in sustainable agriculture. The target is to train close to 500 West African migrants as they wait for their travel documents. 

IOM provides direct assistance to migrants who wish to return to their countries of origin from Niger under the Migrant Resource and Response Mechanism, funded by the European Union.

Migrants have access to accommodation, water, food, medical care, preparation of travel documents, psychosocial support, recreational activities and vocational trainings in business management and agriculture. The trainings are offered five days a week in groups of 25, and are divided into technical and practical sessions that take place on the plots of land allocated by the UNCCD.



The project is the result of the partnership of IOM and UNCCD that provides opportunities for reintegration of migrants by creating  land restoration jobs. The trainings aim to contribute to environmental and climate change action as well as prevent radicalization in both transit and origin countries, minimizing forced migration caused by environmental factors – an objective aligned with the Global Compact for Migration.

Learn more:

• See photos from the training
• Watch training video
• 3S Initiative: Sustainability. Stability. Security