1,500 young Chadians to benefit from EU, IOM funds

Over 250,000 people across northern Chad are set to benefit from a new EUR 13.3 million European Union and IOM programme that will support national priorities and efforts to strengthen stability, create economic opportunities and improve migration governance along one of Africa’s busiest migration corridors.

Over the next three years, the programme will directly support 1,500 young people, with particular attention to women and youths, through vocational training, income-generating activities and cash-for-work initiatives, while expanding access to essential services, strengthening local governance and promoting peaceful coexistence in some of the Sahel’s most vulnerable communities.

“This programme reflects our shared belief that long-term investment in stabilization, through stronger services, sustainable livelihoods and effective local governance, is essential to lasting development,” said Giovanni Cassani, IOM’s Chief of Mission in Chad. “When communities have the opportunity to thrive, they are better equipped to shape their own future and contribute to lasting peace and stability.”

Northern Chad sits at the crossroads of Sub-Saharan Africa, the Sahel and North Africa, making it one of the continent’s busiest migration corridors. Faya, the region’s largest town, is home to communities facing economic, environmental and mobility challenges. The town has become a key transit hub for thousands of migrants travelling in the Sahel in search of economic opportunities.

In 2025 alone, IOM recorded more than 225,000 migrant movements through Chad, many along remote desert routes that offer little protection and limited access to assistance. At the same time, the region receives large numbers of migrants returned from Libya, many with acute protection needs, including survivors of violence, exploitation and detention.

The programme will support national efforts to strengthen Chad’s capacity to manage migration in a safe, orderly and dignified manner by expanding access to legal documentation and essential social and protection services for migrants and host communities. It will also strengthen efforts to prevent trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling by supporting migration data collection, analysis and management.

By investing in livelihoods, local governance and social cohesion, the initiative aims to address some of the underlying drivers of irregular migration while helping communities become more resilient to future shocks.

The initiative builds on previous investments by IOM and its partners to strengthen resilience in northern Chad, including the Germany-funded Balke project (2021-2023) and the World Bank-supported RESITCHAD programme (2024-2026). Together, these efforts form part of a long-term strategy to address the structural drivers of fragility and irregular migration across Chad and the wider Sahel.

“This intervention represents an opportunity to foster stability in a region of Chad facing significant migratory pressure within a fragile context shaped by cross-border dynamics with Libya,” said Amador Sanchez Rico, European Union Ambassador to Chad. “The project will show that promoting dialogue and inclusive action can bring tangible benefits to communities, regardless of origin, while strengthening the country’s overall stability.”

The programme is funded by the European Union and will be implemented by IOM in close partnership with the Government of Chad, decentralized authorities and local organizations, in line with national priorities for stabilization, development and migration governance.