Migrants counted in Libya during March–April 2026, with many exposed to detention, trafficking, and exploitation.
FASII Flagship Migration, Rescue & Reintegration Initiative
Return & Restore
Africa
A Coordinated AU–EU–US Initiative to Free, Return, and Rebuild the Lives of African Migrants Held in Slavery-Like Conditions
Restoring freedom, dignity, family connection, and opportunity through safe return, reintegration, and long-term community recovery.
Freedom
Return
Rebuild
Opportunity
Return
Rebuild
Opportunity
The Crisis in Numbers
A Growing Humanitarian Crisis
Hundreds of thousands of African migrants remain trapped in detention, trafficking, exploitation, and abuse across Libya and the wider North African migration corridor.
Reported ransom amounts families may be forced to pay to secure the release of one relative from captivity.
People intercepted at sea and returned to Libya during 2025 according to figures cited in the program research.
Sources cited in the initiative research include IOM Displacement Tracking Matrix Round 62 (2026), UN OHCHR/UNSMIL reporting, and IOM-related migration data.
What the UN Found in 2026
Detention Has Become a Profit-Driven System
Reports describe a system in which vulnerable migrants may be detained, exploited, transferred, extorted, abused, or abandoned while criminal networks profit from their captivity.
Source cited in program research: UN Human Rights Office and UNSMIL reporting, 2026.
Our Approach
A Coordinated Solution
Return & Restore Africa brings together African, European, and United States partners to dismantle exploitation networks, assist people in detention, support voluntary and dignified return, and create sustainable opportunities after reintegration.
From Captivity to Opportunity
A Structured Path Home
The initiative connects emergency protection with safe return and longer-term economic reintegration instead of treating rescue as the final step.
1
Identify People at Risk
2
Verify Identity and Needs
3
Protection and Release Support
4
Safe Voluntary Return
5
Family and Community Reintegration
6
Education, Skills and Livelihoods
Our Impact
Lives Freed. Communities Strengthened.
Return & Restore Africa is designed to measure success beyond the point of return by tracking protection, release, safe migration support, reintegration, and long-term stability.
100,000
Migrants targeted for support
over three years
40,000
People in Libyan detention
targeted for release support
30,000
High-risk migrants targeted
for safe return support
30,000
Returnees targeted for
reintegration services
Reintegration
Returning Home Is Only the Beginning
Sustainable return requires more than transportation. Individuals and families need practical support to rebuild their lives and reduce the pressures that contribute to repeated irregular migration.
Safe Housing
Short-term stabilization and support help returnees transition safely back into their communities.
Education & Skills
Training and education create alternatives to unsafe migration and support long-term independence.
Livelihood Support
Employment, entrepreneurship, and income-generation opportunities help families rebuild economic stability.
Family Reunification
Reconnecting families and strengthening social networks supports emotional recovery and community reintegration.
Psychosocial Support
Trauma-informed services help survivors recover from detention, trafficking, abuse, and displacement.
Community Recovery
Local investment strengthens the communities to which migrants return and expands future opportunity.
Stronger Communities
Address the Drivers, Not Only the Journey
Irregular migration often begins long before a person reaches a border. Economic insecurity, conflict, lack of opportunity, weak institutions, and family pressure can all influence migration decisions. Long-term prevention therefore begins at home.
Implementation Roadmap
A Phased Approach for Measurable Impact
The initiative is structured around preparation, operational scale-up, program consolidation, and long-term transition toward sustainable local ownership.
Preparation
Detailed planning, institutional partnerships, operating agreements, protection protocols, and initial support services.
Scale-Up
Expand operations, increase safe return and reintegration capacity, and strengthen local support systems.
Consolidation
Broaden coverage, track measurable outcomes, evaluate performance, and strengthen successful interventions.
Sustainability
Transition appropriate systems toward local ownership, complete final evaluation, and establish structures for continued support.
A Safer, Stronger Africa
From Exploitation to Opportunity
By ending exploitation, supporting safe and dignified return, strengthening families, and creating real economic opportunity, the initiative seeks to break the cycle that places vulnerable Africans at risk.
Join the Solution
Freedom. Dignity. Opportunity.
Coordinated action can help free people from exploitation, support safe voluntary return, reunite families, strengthen local economies, and create safer opportunities for future generations across Africa.