WYG International Wins €9.7 Million EU Contract

Award winning consultancy, WYG International, has won a €9.7 million contract to support the Group of African Caribbean and Pacific States with its ‘Intra-ACP Facility for Migration’.

The African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP Group) recently launched a large Intra-ACP Facility for Migrations financed by the European Commission. This will support national and regional institutions, as well as civil society, in approaching “Migration and Development” issues within the perspective of wider improvements to living conditions and population rights.

WYG International (WYGI) was awarded the contract as consortium leader, working with EGIS BDPA (France) and Imani Development (Mauritius) to set up and implement a Project Management Unit. This will assist the ACP Group to reinforce the capacity of regional and national institutions in ACP States, as well as in civil society, on internal and external migration issues linked to public health policies, education, youth employment, free-trade, urban and rural development and improvements to the lives of women.

Jon Burns, Director, WYG International, said: “As an international multidisciplinary consultant, we have a strong track record of providing creative solutions to some of the world’s most challenging projects. We are delighted to be selected as lead partner on this prestigious and significant project and our appointment is testament to our global reach and strength in delivering new programmes, whilst utilising our regional expertise.”

The project is working at regional level – East Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, Southern Africa, Pacific, and Caribbean – as well as national level with twelve pilot countries, two per region. The work will identify knowledge, practice and gaps in migration policy, develop national and regional policy strategies, address identified technical assistance needs, and set up platforms of dialogue on migration issues.

Actions will also be taken to reinforce the capacity of civil society in the ACP regions to take part in discussions on migration questions.

Jon Burns added: “This project reinforces WYGI’s continued long-term strategy and overall commitment to developing key skills in migration issues and becoming a specialist adviser in this field.

“We have 20 years’ experience in international development practice, centered around public sector capacity building and good governance, social development and social policy, economic development and private sector development, education and employment, rural and local development, and justice.

“WYGI is well placed to understand the institutional challenges faced by ACP States in managing their migratory policies and actions, both nationally and regionally, and help them develop policies that will reinforce the positive effects of migration on development in the ACP region.”

The project complements two recent assignments in Turkey: in one, WYGI worked with communities in the east of the country to counteract social problems caused by large-scale migration from villages to towns as a result of social unrest; the other is promoting better implementation of asylum policies of Turkey and in order to provide illegal immigration controls in line with international and EU standards and best practice.

This latest contract creates a significant addition to WYGI’s already substantial portfolio of large donor-funded projects across the globe, including the ACP region.