Uniting for change: The East & Horn of Africa Anti-Trafficking Network champions migrant protection
When one partner withdraws, others step up, and this is how EHAAT was born, the East & Horn of Africa Anti-Trafficking Network. It symbolises togetherness, joint action against human trafficking and a shared commitment to protecting vulnerable people on the move.
The network itself, however, is not new. Since 2017, the Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme, funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany, has been partnering with Civil Society Organisations (CSO) in the Horn of Africa and brought them together in a Regional Network, consisting of about 100 small and medium-sized organisations, forming what is now EHAAT. In August 2024, to ensure long-term sustainability, network coordination transitioned to Freedom Collaborative, a nonprofit that supports cross-border cooperation among anti-trafficking actors.
First Responders on the Frontline
CSOs often operate as first responders to migrants and survivors of trafficking. Mustapha Daher Idriss from the Gar Gar association in Djibouti explains, ´We know where the migrants are sleeping. We bring them food, water, clothes, hygiene products, bedding and mosquito nets. ´
Providing shelter, medical aid and legal consultation, advocating for migrants’ rights and raising awareness about the risks of trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants are all part of the CSOs’ activities, making them important partners for the BMM. Over the years, BMM has expanded support for CSOs through annual forums, monthly learning calls, and training programs aimed at improving protection services. Collectively, these efforts have reached over 60,000 migrants and survivors in Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, and Uganda to access life-saving support or referrals.
´BMM has been a changemaker for our work, ´ says Nimo Ali, Director of the Candle of Hope Foundation in Kenya. ´Their training strengthened our capacities to deliver essential services to those in need.’ Wendmagegnehu Niku of the Ethiopian CSO Timret Lehiwot highlights how BMM-supported referral system training enabled more rescue operations, reintegration support, and family reunifications.
The strength of EHAAT lies in its diversity and collaborative spirit. The network allows CSOs across different countries to coordinate efforts along key migration routes, exchange ideas, share best practices, and identify service gaps. In 2022, BMM facilitated a major achievement: the Regional Mapping of Trafficking and Vulnerable Migrants’ Routes. Thirty-one CSOs contributed 517 data points covering 34 countries. The mapping revealed critical insights into trafficking hotspots, transport modes, and types of exploitation. Updating this mapping is now a key priority for Freedom Collaborative.
Planning for a Sustainable Future
To sustain this valuable collaboration and the provision of services to migrants in need after an end of the support from the BMM Programme, network members began early sustainability planning. ´First we developed a roadmap´, explains Nimo Ali, ´giving us a clear plan of action and setting key priorities. In August 2024, Freedom Collaborative, took over the host of EHAAT.
For Freedom Collaborative CEO Julia Macher, EHAAT aligns naturally with their mission. “This network is impressive. Over 100 CSOs working together to fight human trafficking across an entire region.” Freedom Collaborative helps amplify their work on a global level and connect them with similar initiatives worldwide. “We offer programmatic advice, training, advocacy, and peer support,” says Macher. “Sometimes even emotional support. In some cases, we act as a neutral voice to speak out where local CSOs cannot.”
The EHAAT Network, now on a path toward autonomy, is a powerful example of regional cooperation. ´We are many, we are committed, we are experienced. This is our strength and allows us to stand on our own feet, ´ emphasises Nimo Ali.
More information
The Better Migration Management (BMM) Programme enables national authorities and institutions to manage safe, orderly and regular migration by applying a human rights-based approach, and to address trafficking in human beings and the smuggling of migrants within and from the Horn of Africa region. BMM started in 2016 and is funded by the European Union (EU) and Germany. The programme is implemented by British Council, CIVIPOL, IOM, UNODC and GIZ, who coordinates the joint action. The partner countries are Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan and Uganda.
The BMM Programme has been supporting CSO since 2017 to improve and expand their services and fill assistance and protection gaps along the popular migration routes as well as off the beaten track. BMM has been providing financial and technical support and set up monthly learning calls on technical topics such as gender-based violence and trauma care but also administrative and organizational skills such as monitoring and evaluation and fundraising.
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