‘My work will be done when no child has to live on the streets any longer’
Djibouti is a main transit countries in the Horn of Africa, seeing over 1,000 migrant movements daily. Many are unaccompanied children and young people driven by poverty, lack of opportunities, or conflict, in search of work and stability. With little idea of what awaits them on the way or at their destination, they face high risks of violence, abuse, exploitation, human trafficking and detention.
According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, states have an obligation to protect children. In Djibouti, government institutions and civil society organisations are working together to offer protection and better prospects. The Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme, funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany, accompanies them in developing polices, introducing standard operating procedures (SOPs), promoting cross-border agreements and improving protection services.
Sport and routine as an anchor in life
Alain Djeudi has worked with Caritas Djibouti for 10 years. Officially the shelter coordinator, he also acts as a social worker, counselor, translator, and trusted mentor to the children. Caritas’s Day Centre, active since 1953, supports around 80 children aged 6 to 17 by offering meals, clothing, hygiene facilities, basic health care, and education. The centre also offers sports and play facilities, including a basketball court, an old, artistically refurbished wooden boat serving as a climbing frame, books, a television and craft materials. Everything that allows a young person to be a child and fosters routine and emotional well-being.
Most of the unaccompanied children come from Ethiopia. One such child is Akram. His mother brought him to the Centre first at age eight but picked him up after a while and took him with her to Ethiopia, her home country. She died and Akram was left to fend for himself. He made it back to Djibouti to live with his father, whose new wife beat him. ‘We only found out by chance that he was back in the country,’ reports Djeudi. ‘He was ashamed, didn’t understand why his stepmother was beating him and blamed himself. We had to watch him drop out of school and become criminal,’ Djeudi recalls. Caritas gradually helped him rebuild his life. Having a particular talent for langages, Akram began translating at the centre, later completed an apprenticeship, and secured employment. In cooperation with the authorities, Caritas finally managed to help Akram gain Ethiopian citizenship and obtain his papers, allowing him to plan a more stable future for himself.
Family reunification in the best interests of the child
Fozia Ali Osman, Director of the Family Department at the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs, is deeply committed to protecting children and cannot bear to see defenceless children wandering the streets alone and sleeping rough. ‘It’s hot in Djibouti, there are mosquitoes, and children can catch all kinds of diseases,’ she remarks. She is a key figure in the cross-border collaboration between Djibouti and Ethiopia, facilitated by BMM. Since 2019, this partnership has focused on the return and reintegration of vulnerable minors through shared SOPs and case management. The SOPs help determine the best interest of the child, whether through family reunification or placement in protection services.
Ali Osman highlights a current project: building a reception centre at the Djibouti border. This facility will offer immediate care and protection before children move further into potentially dangerous areas. The aim is to intervene early and make cross-border solutions faster and more child-centered.
‘My work will be done when no child has to live on the streets in Djibouti,’ she says, expressing the deep motivation behind her efforts.
More information
The Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme aims to enable national authorities and institutions to promote safe, orderly and regular migration, applying a human rights-based approach, improves support for victims of human trafficking and vulnerable migrants and enhances protection at the local, national and regional level.
According to research, 80% of child migrants stranded in Djibouti are from Ethiopia. BMM supports the authorities of Djibouti and Ethiopia in strengthening a coordinated cross-border response to the urgent needs faced by such children in Djibouti. It also supports Civil Society Organisations in enhancing their protection and assistance services for child migrants.
BMM is currently in its third phase, which will run until September 2025. It is coordinated by GIZ and jointly implemented with the British Council, CIVIPOL, IOM, and UNODC.