Members of the Cameroon government and its various Administrative officials as well as affiliated entecan now boast of having ample knowledge on how to tackle the issue of Migration. This is thanks to a national capacity building workshop on the Essentials of Migration Management, a program organized by the International Organization for Migration – IOM in collaboration with the European Union and the Ministry of External Relations. Taking place at the conference room of the United Hotel in Mbankomo, outskirts of Yaounde brings together a multitude of leaders under the objective of sharpening their skills on the management of migration.
The five – day training workshop, scheduled to run from February 23 to 27, 2026 is aimed at enhancing and strengthening legal and institutional capacity on key dimensions of migration management, including international and regional frameworks, human mobility dynamics, protection, return and reintegration, and the humanitarian–development–peace nexus. Divided into two sessions, the first session was attended by Legal practitioners and advisers from the different ministries – Ministry of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Social security, social affairs, vocational training – , Interior, migration and border-related institutions while the second session is dedicated to government officials.
At the opening of the workshop on February 23, the Head of Programmes at IOM, Joachim Torrhina said the training is one of IOM’s projects implemented every year, with the aim of reinforcing the capacities of each government to be able to bring forth efficient migration management that touches a diversity of subjects. He urged the participants to be collaborative so as to attain set objectives.
On the agenda, a series of interactive sessions, peer‑to‑peer exchanges, and group exercises designed to help participants identify priority actions that will strengthen a coherent, evidence‑based, and rights‑based approach to migration management in Cameroon. Amongst the topics debated upon was the presentation of the core concepts of the program, an Introduction to Human Mobility – where pull and pushed factors were listed – and International & regional migration law & human rights. These activities are geared towards aligning with Cameroon key policies of integrating migration in development plans, protecting and including IDP’s, addressing climate-mobility risk and strengthening cross-border cooperation.
Amongst the participants was Igeibor Nadeshe Beri Epse Kenne, Sub- Director of Cooperation at the Investment Promotion Agency – IPA who wish, at the end of this workshop, to know how to integrate Migration dynamics into economic development strategies like attracting diaspora investment or skilled labor and also how migration affects fund direct investment inflows as well as national development plans.
At the end of the five-day workshop, the organizers and participants are expected to establish next steps to identifying key legal priorities for Cameroon & capacity-building need as well as recommendations on the Comprehensive support to national policy development and return, readmission, and reintegration (RRR) of Migrants.
About IOM EMM 2.0
The Essentials of Migration Management (EMM 2.0) is IOM’s flagship programme in migration management which provides resources and foundational training to government officials and all stakeholders dealing with migration. It highlights the interaction between different thematic areas and builds a common understanding of migration with a whole-of-government approach, by bringing together key institutions including those involved in migration, border management, labour, and social protection. It contributes to strengthen coherent, rights-based, and evidence-informed migration governance.
The EMM course also enhances a shared understanding of migration dynamics, international standards, and national responsibilities, leveraging cooperation at national, regional and global levels, and articulating the relevance of international frameworks, such as the 2030 Agenda and the Global Compact on Migration, on the day-to-day work of government officials and other stakeholders involved. It supports improved inter-ministerial coordination, effective policy implementation, and stronger operational responses to migration, labour mobility, and protection challenges.
For Cameroon, the EMM course would contribute directly to national development priorities, regional free movement commitments, and international cooperation, while reinforcing institutional capacities to manage migration in a safe, orderly, and regular manner.
The programme highlights the interaction between different thematic areas and builds a common understanding of migration with a whole-of-government approach. The project whose budget stands at €10 million, an equivalence of over 6 billion in FCFA is to be implemented nationwide in Cameroon, with targeted support in Littoral, Centre. West, Adamaoua, and Far North regions from March 2025 to February 2028.
