This three-year project aims to strengthen the socio-economic development and mobility of youth in rural and border regions of the Gambia, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea. it builds on two previous
initiatives: “Bringing together youth, the diaspora and local authorities for an integrated approach to promoting employment and combating irregular migration in the Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau” (YDLA), and “Supporting local economic development in the Gambia, Guinea and Guinea-Bissau” (SLED). these projects were implemented by IOM between 2018 and 2021 with financial support from the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

The current project aims not only to consolidate gains from these previous interventions, but also consider the recommendations made following the SLED project final evaluation. In a bid to address the challenges relating to youth unemployment and irregular migration, IOM plans to strengthen socio-economic development and intra-regional mobility in the rural areas of these four countries, based
on youth-focused programmes.

The aim is to promote safe, orderly and regular mobility, both within and across borders, while ensuring a balance between labour supply and labour demand to support youth employment and income generation. This requires the adoption of evidence-based policies and strategies on migration governance, as well as the creation of employment opportunities for youth in strategic economic sectors