New beginnings from Turkey to Mongolia

Myagmarjav and Oyunbileg went to Turkey to work and enroll in a sewing training course in 2018. They had hoped to stay in Turkey for a longer period to work and save up their income for their children.  However, due to government crackdowns on illegal migrants in recent years, Myagmarjav was caught by the police and detained for several weeks. During this time, he contacted IOM and was able to return to Mongolia safely with his wife and two children.

With the support of IOM, the couple have put their training and work experience in sewing to good use by opening a sewing shop in their hometown of Erdenet city. The family used their reintegration grant to purchase sewing equipment, tools, and materials to kickstart their business. Although the couple experienced some challenges in running a sewing shop by themselves, they expressed that their expertise in sewing came in handy and they receive many orders each day.

In 2023, IOM provided additional support for the family and other returnees facing similar scenarios. A series of events were organized on business coaching, psychological group counselling, and health checkup for all interested returnees. Oyunbileg particularly benefited from the psychological session as she was dealing with hurdles of being a working mom. “I always wanted to receive psychological support and didn’t know where to look, so this session has been very useful to rediscover parts of myself” said Oyunbileg after attending a psychological group counselling session with her newborn baby and her husband.

Today, the family is continuously working on expanding the sewing business and supporting each other along the journey. Mr. Myagmarjav has very high hopes for the future and said the reintegration assistance was a huge support for their livelihood and thanked IOM for helping them plant the roots for their future in Mongolia.