At the opening of the first International Road and Irregular Migration Fair (SIRELMCI) on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in Abidjan-Cocody, the Minister of Employment and Social Protection, Adama Kamara, made a passionate appeal to Ivorian youth. Addressing a large audience of young people and committed stakeholders, he urged them to reject the dangers of irregular migration and seize local opportunities.

“Your future is right here. Success doesn’t require a passport. Ivory Coast needs your labor, your talents, your intelligence, and your dreams. Don’t entrust them to smugglers. Entrust them to your country,” the minister insisted.

Beyond repression: the map of professional integration

For Adama Kamara, dismantling criminal networks is no longer enough. The real response to irregular migration lies in concrete solutions: employment, training, and entrepreneurship . The government is therefore focusing on strengthening employability through skills training and promising careers to offer credible alternatives to young people.

Alarming figures that sound like a warning

The minister supported his speech with data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), recalling the tragic toll of clandestine migration routes:

1. 8,938 deaths recorded worldwide in 2024, making this the deadliest year ever documented.
2. In Ivory Coast , there has been a dramatic increase of nearly 150% in the number of returning migrants who are victims of human trafficking, rising from 93 cases in 2024 to 241 in 2025. A situation described as a "wake-up call" by lawyer Kamara.

"Success is not geographical."

Echoing this sentiment, the fair's general commissioner, Christelle Melèdje Benaiah, emphasized the importance of raising awareness about legal migration pathways. Proclaiming that "success is not geographical," she encouraged young people to harness the country's economic potential rather than risk their lives.

SIRELMCI has now established itself as a key platform for reflection on rethinking human mobility, combating human trafficking and promoting the sustainable integration of young people in Côte d'Ivoire.