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Aware Migrants Campaign - IOM Italy

Italy (targeting 11 North/West African countries), Europe / Sub-Saharan Africa

Aware Migrants is an awareness campaign launched in 2016 by IOM and the Italian Ministry of Interior to inform potential migrants about the dangers of irregular migration across the Sahara Desert and Mediterranean Sea. The campaigns slogan is Information is Empowerment. It features video testimonials from migrants who experienced perilous journeys, subtitled in English, Italian and Arabic and broadcast in 15 countries. The campaign uses social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter), radio/TV, community theatre, sports tournaments, cooking events, and photography courses. African artist Rokia Traore wrote the official song Be Aware Brother, Be Aware Sister. Between 2016-2023, the campaign reached 530,000+ people across 11 countries in North and West Africa.

Behavior Goal

Enable informed migration decisions by providing realistic information about risks of irregular migration and countering false expectations from smugglers

Implementers & Partners

  • International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  • Italian Ministry of Interior

Donors & Sponsors

  • Italian Ministry of Interior
  • German Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Austrian Ministry of Interior

Key Takeaways

  • 1Information is empowerment - countering smuggler misinformation
  • 2530,000+ people reached across 11 countries (2016-2023)
  • 3Video testimonials from real migrants most impactful content
  • 4Unbranded content facilitates peer-to-peer sharing
  • 5Digital-to-grassroots approach combines online with community events
  • 6Adapted to cultural, linguistic, migratory context of each country

Sources

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