IOM has provided basic business training to 26 Ethiopian voluntary returnees from    Egypt and Libya to improve their chances of successful reintegration in Ethiopia. The five-day training in Addis Ababa, which was provided in collaboration with Ethiopia’s Federal Micro and Small Enterprises Development Agency (FeMSEDA), covered topics including entrepreneurship, preparing a business plan and basic book-keeping skills.

"The training complements IOM’s in-kind reintegration support and can significantly increase the success rate of small business projects," says IOM Ethiopia’s Abraham Tamrat. "It also takes into account the government’s micro- and small enterprise support system, from which the returnees can benefit at their home locations."

IOM is offering this training under its Regional Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme for Migrants in Libya and Egypt (RAVEL), which is funded by the European Union and co-funded by the Government of Italy. The programme assists migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in host countries and wish to return voluntarily to their countries of origin. It also provides reintegration assistance to improve the livelihood of returnees. To date some 95 Ethiopians have taken part in RAVEL.