The Reintegration Needs of Illegal Migrant Returnees to Omo Nada District Jimma Zone, Oromia National Regional State, Ethiopia

Despite the reintegration needs of the returnee there is important to design reintegration program, reintegrate and enable them to become independent and productive members of the community; the identification of these needs are often neglected in academic studies. The objective of the study was to explore the reintegration needs sought by returnees to Omo Nada district after return. To this end, I conducted a resourceful study in Omo Nada district in 2017. I collected the data by means of in-depth interviews, key informant interviews and focus group discussions. I used thematic analysis to analyze the findings. The study identified the need for support in the form of health services, counselling, housing, employment, skills training, finances, loans and social support as the major reintegration needs sought by the study participants. Despite the many needs identified, the returnees could not get reintegration support. Due to this, they were not able to reintegrate into their communities. Returning to the pre-migration conditions which drove them to migrate ‘illegally' in the first place, with no hope of any reintegration assistance, led some returnees to intend re-migrate illegally.