A total of 140 Nigerians who had been stranded in Sudan for months have returned home with the assistance of the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) through its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme.
IOM made the announcement in a statement on Friday, revealing that the first chartered flight since the crisis in Sudan landed at Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport on February 27, where Nigerian government officials welcomed the returnees. Among them were 64 women, 36 children, and four infants under 12 months, as well as migrants with health issues.
The IOM highlighted that the Voluntary Humanitarian Return programme provides a lifeline for stranded migrants, offering a safe return pathway for those facing difficult circumstances but unable to fund their return.
The charter flight was organized through close coordination between Sudanese and Nigerian authorities, including the Nigerian Embassy in Sudan, the Sudanese Ministry of Interior, the National Commission for Refugees, Migrants, and Internally Displaced Persons in Nigeria, Nigeria Immigration Services, and other local stakeholders in Kano.
Additionally, the IOM’s efforts were supported by the European Union through the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration Programme for Sub-Saharan Africa.
