Geneva – More than 30,000 migrants received critical assistance in the first year of the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Cooperation on Migration and Partnerships for Sustainable Solutions (COMPASS) initiative. 

This includes essential humanitarian items, cash, shelter, psychosocial support and transportation, comprehensive assistance, including healthcare, psychosocial support, legal assistance, counselling or other specialized services, and assistance for the voluntary, safe, and dignified return of migrants to their countries of origin.  

Launched in 2021, COMPASS is a global initiative designed to protect people on the move, combat human trafficking and smuggling, and support voluntary and dignified returns across 14 countries, while promoting sustainable reintegration. In addition to direct assistance, the COMPASS initiative also focuses on capacity development and an evidence-based learning approach. 

“The COMPASS initiative offers a platform for enhanced engagement with partner countries, an example of a multi-region, comprehensive programme that has yielded significant and tangible results,” said Monica Goracci, Director of the Department of Migration Management at IOM.  

“As we move forward, IOM is committed to continued cooperation with the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the COMPASS partner states and seizes the opportunity of this strategic tripartite collaboration guiding safe migration and addressing common challenges with the commitment to leave no one behind.” 

In the first year, over 780 stakeholders, including government officials and civil society organizations, received capacity building on migrant protection, human trafficking and the smuggling of migrants, sustainable reintegration, and migration management. 

COMPASS is actively supporting relevant migration coordination mechanisms at the national level and the implementation of reintegration and awareness-raising activities through community-based partnerships. The emphasis on coordination enhances local ownership and long-term sustainability 

“None of the achievements would be possible without the good cooperation that we have had with IOM, partner countries, and partner organizations,” said Marriët Schuurman, Director of the Department for Stabilization and Humanitarian Aid of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.  

“The expertise and knowledge that the partners have contributed was invaluable. We look forward to continuing this cooperation over the next years, to guide safe migration better, together.” 

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For more information please visit www.iom.int/compass.  

For media inquiries, please contact media@iom.int or com@minbuza.nl.