Pristina – After many years of travel, and many months of staying in Kosovo, yesterday migrants who were eagerly waiting to return home – through the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return Programme, took the plane and returned to Morocco to meet again with their family members, children, and friends.

Amid the trembling, it was impossible for them to believe that the return was happening. They just wanted to be home, nothing else mattered.

While waiting to be tested for COVID-19, they went through their memory lane and remembered the reasons behind their migration. One of them dreamt to play football, in an area that would provide him with better perspectives and conditions, and that would value his talent. Unfortunately, that did not come true. The others were thinking of their families – helping them financially was the burden that as they said made them leave their country. They left in the hope to find good jobs and make a good income. It did not take long, and they were facing journey risks, challenges, and other harmful difficulties that devastated them. It impacted both their mental and physical health.

Left with no money, food, and alternatives they sought support. IOM Kosovo responded to their needs by providing them with shelter, food and non-food items, mental health and psycho-social support, information about their rights, and other basic services all along working hard to assist their return to their country-of-origin Morocco.

Thanks to the cooperation of the Consulate-General of Morocco in Rome which issued the travel documents and with the support of IOM Rome, yesterday they gathered their bags, wore their best clothes, proceeded to the airport, and departed home.

Just before leaving, they told us that “they would be totally lost if it wouldn’t be for the IOM support”, and this is the exact phrase that remains one of our greatest pushes to stay dedicated to promoting humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all.

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For more information please contact IOM Kosovo, iompristina@iom.int