Tunisia sees 3,295 migrants assisted under IOM voluntary return program

A total of 3,295 migrants benefited from the International Organization for Migration (IOM)'s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) program in Tunisia during the first half of 2026, IOM Tunisia has said.



The voluntary returns were organized between Jan. 1 and June 30, with migrants returning to 32 countries of origin through five charter flights and 182 commercial flights.



Guinea accounted for 26 percent of all returnees, followed by Cote d'Ivoire with 19 percent and Cameroon with 9 percent.



Since 2023, more than 21,500 migrants in Tunisia have received assistance under the AVRR program, returning to 41 countries of origin through 45 charter flights and 1,144 commercial flights, according to the IOM.



The AVRR program is implemented in cooperation with Tunisian authorities, diplomatic and consular missions of countries of origin, and national partners.



Meanwhile, Tunisia has been operating its own voluntary return program since July 2025. According to Tunisian authorities, nearly 5,000 migrants have returned to their countries of origin under the government-run initiative.