By: Saidu Jalloh
In a swift and impactful demonstration of partnership, the National Civil Registration Authority (NCRA) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have successfully provided essential identity documents to 145 Sierra Leonean migrant returnees at Old Lungi International Airport. This on-site exercise, which follows the recent signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two institutions, marks the first step in implementing their transformative collaboration aimed at streamlining identity verification and supporting the reintegration of vulnerable returnees from Mauritania.
Facilitated through IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program, funded by the European Union, the returnees had faced months of hardship in the Sahel region, contending with economic instability and border disruptions. Upon their return, many lacked valid identification, which often restricted their access to basic social services. In response, the NCRA’s mobile enrollment team issued free National ID cards and Birth Certificates on the spot, enabling immediate access to healthcare, education, banking, employment verification, and other critical services.
During the MoU signing ceremony, NCRA Director General Mohamed Mubashir Massaquoi emphasized that the partnership ensures returning Sierra Leoneans are “not just welcomed home, but equipped with the tools they need to rebuild their lives.” He further noted that access to identification is “the foundation of dignity and opportunity,” reflecting President Julius Maada Bio’s vision for inclusive governance and national development.
The agreement, signed in recent weeks, builds on earlier collaborations between the NCRA and IOM, including a 2024 initiative that addressed the documentation needs of over 2,000 Sierra Leoneans.
Several returnees expressed their gratitude, commending both institutions for facilitating their smooth reintegration. “We are looking forward to starting life all over again,” one of them remarked, expressing relief and hope for the future.
This airport-based exercise represents the first phase of the broader MoU implementation, which aims to benefit at least 1,000 returnees nationwide. It highlights Sierra Leone’s renewed commitment supported by international partners to combat statelessness, expand national ID coverage, and ensure that no citizen is left behind, even those returning from difficult journeys abroad.