Develop standard perating procedures (SOPs) on search and rescue (SAR) of migrants at sea that comply with international law standards At International Organization for Migration

TERMS OF REFERENCE

Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) on search and rescue (SAR) of migrants at sea that comply with international law standards

Background and rationale

Due to its key geographical position, the Republic of Djibouti is positioned as a crucial stopover for the significant migratory movements in the Horn of Africa. The country faces a major challenge related to irregular migration, with thousands of migrants crossing it annually, motivated by various factors such as the search for economic opportunities, climate crises, conflict and violence. Statistics from the[1] International Organization for Migration’s (IOM[2]) Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) reveal a significant increase in the number of people using the Eastern Migration Route, from 258,000 in 2020 to 441,000[3] migrants in 2022, making it one of the busiest maritime migration routes in the world. Between January and December 2023, the flow monitoring points set up in Djibouti recorded the movement of 278,636 migrant persons.

During these perilous journeys, migrants are exposed to protection risks, very harsh climatic hazards, and dehydration that often leads to death. Between January and June 2023, 241 dead migrants were recorded[4] in Djibouti, the main causes of which are dehydration, hunger, and accidents along the roads.

Djibouti plays a central role in the complex and two-way migration movements known as the “Eastern Route”. Most migrants transiting through Djibouti often attempt to cross the sea to the Gulf States. According to IOM’s DTM data, in 2023, a total of 72,056 migrants from Ethiopia arrived in Yemen via Djibouti, an increase of 81% compared to 2022 when 39,843 migrants were recorded. To reach Yemen, migrants use makeshift boats that are often very overcrowded, often with the risk of shipwrecks at sea.

Irregular migration along the coast costs many migrants their lives. Several incidents were recorded between 2021 and 2024.

In 2021, a boat capsizing in April 2021 resulted in 44 deaths, in 2022 a total of 89 migrants missing or dead along the Eastern Route, and many more deaths go unreported, while in 2023, a total of 88 migrants who died at sea were recorded. Finally, in 2024, two shipwrecks were recorded, the first of which occurred on 8 April 2024, left 38 dead and 5 missing, and the second on 23 April 2024, caused the death of 24 migrants and 20 missing. All these tragic incidents underscore the urgent need to strengthen the search and rescue mechanism at sea.

IOM is working with the Djiboutian authorities and the International Committee of the Red Cross to strengthen the capacity of frontline workers on dead body management (DBM) and to revitalize the DBM Committee, which is under the Ministry of Health. There is a Dead Body Management Committee at the national and regional level, IOM and ICRC support the establishment of regional committees.

Several actors are involved in search and rescue operations in the Republic of Djibouti. The Coast Guard, which is the main actor in maritime search and rescue, works with several other responders in the care of survivors and the management of the bodies of those who have lost their lives.

In order to strengthen this collaboration between different actors and to provide adequate care for survivors and the management of the bodies of those who have lost their lives, it is important to develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) that will ensure that search and rescue operations of migrants at sea, including safe disembarkation, are carried out in an orderly manner, effective and in line with international standards, thus ensuring the best chance of survival for people in distress, protecting their rights and providing them with the needed assistance. They will facilitate effective coordination and communication between the different parties involved, the responsibilities and roles of each actor.

Djibouti has made progress in protection, search and rescue at sea, as evidenced by the work carried out by agents of the National Coast Guard in Khor Angar through surveillance to locate makeshift boats carrying migrants, registration of migrants in vulnerable situations who are rescued from or to Yemen, but challenges remain. Indeed, the Coast Guard lacks the intervention equipment to effectively patrol along the Djiboutian coast, in comparison to the increased number of migratory movements, which hinders search and rescue operations for migrants in vulnerable situations.

To support the Djibouti Coast Guard in Search and Rescue Operations and with funding from the Government of Japan, IOM Djibouti will recruit an international consultant who will work closely with the Coast Guard and other stakeholders to develop the SOPs for search and rescue operations of migrants at sea. The objective of this project is to provide a clear and structured framework for rescue operations, define the role and responsibility and facilitate interoperability between the different agencies and organizations involved in search and rescue operations, allowing for effective collaboration of each responder, ensuring that all parties know exactly what they need to do during a rescue operation. This will ensure that search and rescue operations of migrants at sea, including safe disembarkation, are carried out in an orderly manner, effective and in line with international standards, thus ensuring the best chance of survival for people in distress, protecting their rights and providing them with the needed assistance.

1. General objective

These procedures should provide institutional and civil society partners and all other actors involved in search and rescue operations of migrants at sea with a clear and structured framework for search and rescue operations at sea, define the role and responsibility of each responder and facilitate interoperability between the different agencies and organisations involved in search and rescue operations, including safe disembarkation, in an orderly manner, effective and in line with international standards.

1. Specific Objectives

Specifically, these are:

• Identify the different actors involved in the search and rescue operations of migrants at sea
• Develop in a participatory manner standard operating procedures (SOPs) for search and rescue operations of migrants at sea.
• Identify strategies and measures that can promote the implementation of these procedures.
• Define the monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mechanism for the implementation of the SOPs.
• Train all responders in search and rescue operations on the developed SOPs.

1. Geographic scope and group targeted by the consultation

The consultancy will be conducted under the supervision of IOM, in coordination with the Djibouti Coast Guard in the following cities: Djibouti City and Obock.

1. Description of expected activities

Activity 1: Develop the standard operating procedures for search and rescue of migrants at sea

1. To map and evaluate institutional and civil society partners at the local level, engaged in search and rescue of migrants at sea.
2. Based on the training on international law that took place in May 2024, the practices identified and a literature review and international standards, develop a draft of the standard operating procedures for search and rescue of migrants at sea.
3. Produce a document of standard operating procedures integrating the strategies and operational measures for the implementation of the defined procedures and a mechanism for monitoring and evaluating the implementation of said procedures.
4. Organize 1 participatory workshop for the review and validation of the draft standard operating procedures developed. Consultancy includes the preparation, programmatic organization and facilitation of workshops. Logistics will be handled by IOM.
5. Produce a summary report on the participatory workshop, including the feedback of the participants.
6. Finalize the draft SOPs, including the M&E mechanism, based on the feedback received during the participatory workshop.

Activity 2: Train institutional and civil society partners at the central and local levels on the standard operating procedures developed and support them in their use

1. The main beneficiaries of these trainings will be Representatives of the ministerial departments and institutions concerned at the central and local levels, including civil society.
2. Based on the IOM material that is already available and, on the SOPs, develop training modules to implement the SOPs on search and rescue operations of migrants at sea in line with international law standards.
3. Train the institutional and civil society partners identified using these modules (at least 30 people, through practical cases and exchanges of experience (National consultant to continue training to other stakeholders involved in search and rescue operations).
4. The training will be held face-to-face and interactively. They will need to be tailored to an audience of multi-sectoral, institutional and civil society partners.
5. Produce a summary report on training with recommendations, challenges and opportunities identified.
6. Expected deliverables and provisional schedule

The implementation period of the mission is 40 working days spread between 1 September and 31 October 2024. Payment for the consultation will be made by partial billing after the receipt and final validation of the deliverables by IOM according to the following schedule:

Activities and deliverables

Estimated days

Estimated payment times %

Deliverable 1

• Scoping note outlining the methodology used to carry out this consultancy and including the timetable of the mission.

10 days

20%

Deliverable 2

• Standard operating procedures for search and rescue of migrants at sea in line with international standards is developed.
• Mechanism for the monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of the SOPs is developed.
• Participatory validation workshop to provide feedback to the draft SOPs and M&E Mechanism is organized.
• Summary report of the participatory workshop.

20 days

30%

Deliverable 3

• Training modules in PowerPoint format for institutional partners and civil society on how to implement the SOPs are developed.
• Delivery of the training face to face.
• Summary report of the training.

20 days

30%

Deliverable 4

• End-of-mission report, including all the materials produced, the challenges and perspectives on the topic.

10 days

20%

Total

60 business days

100%

1. Stakeholders and beneficiaries

• Stakeholders:

Role and responsibility of the consultant: The consultant will assume overall responsibility for the development of the standard operating procedures for the search and rescue of migrants at sea in line with international standards, developing and delivering the training, in coordination with the Djibouti Coast Guard and IOM. The consultant will be responsible for strict compliance with confidentiality within the framework of the law and ethics regarding the files and information shared.

• Role and responsibilities of the Coast Guard and IOM:

The Coast Guard and IOM will verify the quality of the deliverables and validate them before proceeding with payment. As part of the consultancy, the Coast Guard and IOM will facilitate the link between the partner associations and institutions and the consultant. a virtual SharePoint folder will be with all the material for everyone to access and download. IOM will be responsible of the logistical aspects of organizing the workshops.

• Beneficiaries:

The direct beneficiaries will be the ministerial departments and institutions concerned at the central level and civil society associations. The indirect beneficiaries will be migrants in vulnerable situations at sea, survivors of shipwrecks including migrants on the move.

1. Technical and functional qualifications required of the consultant

The consultant sought for this study must have the following qualifications:

• Have good experience with mixed methods of social science research (qualitative and quantitative approaches) and gender-responsive participatory and rights-based approaches.
• Have a good knowledge and experience of issues related to search and rescue, human rights, international law and migration.
• Have a good knowledge of the work of the Coast Guard.
• Have a good knowledge of the migration context in the East and Horn of Africa.
• Have proven experience in writing study reports in French. A good command of English would be an asset.
• Have experience in conducting evaluations/studies.
• Be open to change and able to receive/integrate feedback.
• Have good teamwork and field skills.
• Demonstrate integrity by complying with the values and ethical standards of the United Nations and IOM.
• Demonstrate high sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, race, nationality and age.
• Speaking and writing in French, and English as an asset.

1. Submission file

The application file must include:

1. Application letter (one page).
2. The consultant’s CV clearly indicating the qualifications and experience relevant for this assignment.
3. Technical proposal (max. 4 pages) considering the guidance provided in the Terms of Reference (ToRs). Variations may be proposed based on technical reasons.
4. Work plan and timeline for the completion of all the work.
5. Separate financial proposal (a detailed budget).
6. Procedure for the submission of proposals

Submissions should be sent exclusively by electronic mail (e-mail) to the following address: iomdjihrd@iom.int , which is the only acceptable e-mail address. Tenders must be sent no later than 11 August 2024, the latest deadline for receipt of tenders, mentioning in the subject of the message “SOP – Search and Rescue”.

All proposals submitted by e-mail must be submitted as a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.

Any questions regarding this consultation (for information only and not for submissions), should be addressed to Bachard Lamine: lbachard@iom.int

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

[1] Movement tracking matrix

[2] International Organization for Migration

[3] Une région en mouvement, Regional Data Hub, DTM, 2022 : https://publications.iom.int/books/region-move-2022-east-and-horn-africa

[4] January – June 2023 Semi-Annual Report on Access to Care, Ministry of Health, Djibouti