Côte d’Ivoire launches $3.4 million program for returning migrants

Côte d’Ivoire has unveiled the KITLANY pilot program, a CFA2 billion ($3.4 million) initiative designed to support returning migrants and local youth in rebuilding their livelihoods. Presented during the second National Conference on Migrant Reintegration in Abidjan, the project aims to assist 300 individuals, including 200 returning migrants and 100 local youths, over an 18 to 24 month period.

The program, developed by the Stay in Africa platform, intends to create 150 direct jobs and provide participants with psychosocial support, vocational training, and workforce integration assistance. While the initiative seeks to reach an additional 1,200 people indirectly, its implementation depends on securing necessary funding through upcoming donor roundtable meetings.

Minister Delegate Adama Dosso reported that Côte d’Ivoire assisted 4,125 returning migrants by the end of September 2026, a significant increase from the 2,313 assisted throughout 2025. The government aims to transform the return process into a foundation for socio-economic autonomy and community development through coordinated resource mobilization.