Following the newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), NCRA team today provided essential Identity documents to 145 Sierra Leonean migrant returnees at the Old Lungi International Airport. This on-site initiative is seen as the first of many implementation of the transformative partnership between the two institutions- which aims to streamlining identity verification and supporting the reintegration of vulnerable returnees from Mauritania.
The returnees, which were facilitated through IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program – backed by the European Union, just arrived home after going through turbulent period overseas in the Sahel. Many of them had been stranded due to growing economic instability and border disruptions, upon their return, are also often faced with barriers of accessing basic Social Services without proper Identification. The NCRA’s mobile enrollment team at the airport today, issued free National ID Cards and Birth Certificates on the spot, enabling immediate eligibility for social support, employment verification, and essential programs like healthcare, banking, enrolment into formal education and more.
Director General Mohamed Mubashir MASSAQUOI, has always highlighted the MoU’s role during the a brief signing ceremony that the collaboration with IOM ensures that returning Sierra Leoneans aren’t just welcomed home, but are equipped with all the tools they need to rebuild. These documents, he stressed, are the foundation for their dignity and opportunity, which aligns with President Julius Maada BIO’s vision of inclusive governance.
The MoU, signed in recent weeks, builds on prior engagements, including the 2024 agreement with the IOM, which saw the needs of over 2000 Sierra Leonean needs addressed.
The returnees expressed their deep gratitude to the IOM and NCRA for the facilitation of their swift integration into a place they called home – stating they are “looking forward to starting life all over again”.
This airport-based delivery is the opening phase of the broader MoU which targets 1000 beneficiaries as this initial action underscores the country’s commitment along with partners, to combat Statelessness, provide universal ID coverage, and further emphasizes the NCRA’s commitment in ensuring that no Sierra Leonean is left behind – including those on their journeys back home.
