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GENERAL OVERVIEW ON REINTEGRATION IOM ROME REINTEGRATION ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS

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GENERAL OVERVIEW ON REINTEGRATION IOM ROME REINTEGRATION ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS

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  1. REINTEGRATION BEST PRACTICES AND LESSONS LEARNED: FROM ITALY TO IRAQTheExperience of IOM RomeMr. José Angel OropezaIOM, Director of the Coordinating Office for the Mediterranean andChief of Mission for Italy and MaltaInternational Seminar in the framework of the IOM Vilnius Project “Reintegration in Countries of Origin”Co-funded by the European Return Fund Vilnius, 19 April 2011

  2. GENERAL OVERVIEW ON REINTEGRATION IOM ROME REINTEGRATION ACTIVITIES AND PROJECTS Outline

  3. REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE An Overview

  4. TYPES OF REINTEGRATION ASSISTANCE Short Term Reintegration Assistance • a) Reinstellation Grants (consists of cash grants that can be given at pre-departure or post-arrival) • b) Temporary accomodation arrangements • Long Term Reintegration Assistance • a) Small business development (through grant disbursements) • b) Support towards job placements (i.e salary subsidies) • c) Assistance towards vocational training/schooling needs • d) Capacity Building assistance (i.e aid in building schools) • Reintegration assistance can also be managed and dispensed in country of origin

  5. The Impact of Reintegration Assistance • Contributes to a sustainable return • Contributes to broader economic development • Critical in post-conflict situations • Provides support in reconstruction and rehabilitation • Allows for effective evaluation and monitoring of returnees • Contributes to capacity building of partner NGOs and institutions in countries of return • Allows for cooperation amongst all actors

  6. Types of Programmes a) Part of general AVR programmes (UK VARRP, REAB, Ireland VARRP, Spain, Poland (for vulnerable migrants) b) Country/target specific (Iraq, Afghanistan, Angola, etc) c) Origin country managed (Mali/Niger/Ghana, Sri Lanka) - New projects include the Mali/Niger/Ghana project assisting over 175 reintegration initiatives d) Capacity building in countries of origin on reception and reintegration-supporting readmission implementation (i.e synergies with AENEAS measures) • Current Active projects: approximately 50 active projects worldwide which have a reintegration element

  7. Reintegration Assistance – Example • Tailored reintegration assistance • Implemented with a numbers of local partners – supporting local capacity building • Evaluation and monitoring • Major types of assistance • Business set up • Vocational Training • Education support • health and housing needs (case by case)

  8. AVR support for vulnerable groups • Tailored assistance to vulnerable groups • General (e.g. Spanish AVR programme, Polish AVR and Reintegration programme, Swiss AVR programme) • UAMs (e.g. Irish UAM VARP, Ireland/NL for Nigerian irregular migrants, NL-Angola/DRC) • Returnees with health needs • Victims of trafficking • Single headed family with minors • Elderly • Minorities

  9. AVRR from ItalyGeneral Information • Programme of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration from Italy started in 1991 assisting main groups of nationals as a result of the different crisis and conflicts affecting Italy in the last 2 decades (i.e. wars in B&H and Kosovo, economic crisis in Albania, repeated massive inflows of economic migrants and refugees from Africa, Middle and Far East). Since 1991 to date IOM Rome has assisted the AVR&R of over 7,000 migrants from the above regions. • Since 2009, IOM Rome has been implementing AVR&R projects with the support of the EU Return Fund, on behalf of the Italian Ministry of Interior. • The ongoing “PARTIR” project , phase II, running from July 2010 until June 2011, has assisted the return of 200 migrants from 43 countries of origin. 193 (96.5%) of them benefitted from a reintegration assistance. • Reintegration assistance amounts varies from 1,100 EUR to 3,000 EUR, depending on the returnee’s vulnerability, needs, reintegration plan and numbers of dependents in the family. The assistance is mainly provided in goods and services (in kind) while cash is given only in very limited circumstances (i.e. no IOM office or no International organizations/local NGOs supporting the process).

  10. AVRR from Italy Regional Trends • Top 10 CoO from the perspective of the reintegration: 1. Iraq (10), 2. Brasile (9), 3. Tunisia (9), 4. Ghana (8), 5. Nigeria (8), 6. Colombia (7), 7. Ecuador (7), 8. Pakistan (7), 9. India (6), 10. Morocco (6) • Latin America is the first region of origin in terms of returns from Italy. It is a new trend, characterized by the significant number of families returning to their CoO as a result of the economic crisis and the loss of many jobs. Many use the reintegration assistance to start up a small business that can generate income for the whole family. • The MENA Region, Subsaharian Africa and Asia are still characterized by the return of single men. Most of them use the reintegration assistance to start up small businesses and rent small lodgings.

  11. AVRR from Italy General Data on Iraqi Beneficiaries • Numbers: 12 persons returned to Iraq under PARTIR II, 10 of which received an assistance for their reintegration. • Regions of origin: 9 of them came from Iraqi’s Kurdistan (Erbil and Sulaymanyia) while the other 3 came from Bagdad. • Age: Half of them were under 30 years old, while the older was 66. • Status: 2 had a stay permit for medical reasons; the other were asylum seekers or persons who were granted with humanitarian protection

  12. AVRR from Italy Reintegration Assistance in Iraq • In their original Individual Reintegration Plans, 5 returnees planned to start up a small business (grocery store, taxi, moving, plumbing, etc) • 4 returnees decided to use the assistance for housing. It is to be noted that many decided to repair their houses, which seems to be an important need for many returnees to Iraq, following the war and consequent destructions and mass displacements.

  13. II Family Tracing Activities and Assisted Voluntary Return of Unaccompanied Foreign Minors • The Italian Committee for the Foreign Minors (ICFM) is tasked by the law to carry out this key action as follows: • DPCM n. 535 of the 09.12.1999: Art. 2 “ Duties of the Committee ”:..f) is tasked with duties of boost and research in order to upgrade the identification of UAM’ family members, also in their Countries of Origin or in Third Countries, by cooperating with relevant public administrations and competent national and international organizations. • IOM has been entrusted with this activity since March 2008. • So far (1.4.2011) IOM Rome has carried out 1.133 family tracings in 33 Countries of origin and in 5 host countries and 10 AVR & R in 8 different Countries of origin and one host country.

  14. IOM Family Tracing Activities and Assisted Voluntary Return of UAMs residing in Italy Family tracing Useful tool to better support UAMs integration process, as it provides Italian social-workers with an in depth knowledge of: • Context of origin: socio-economical situation of the family in the origin context; possible problems and stress factors within the family of origin and/or within the context of origin; possible UAM reintegration/development opportunities in the area of origin; • UAMs migration project, be it conceived by the family or individual; families’ expectations and their reflections on the minors’ choices for their future; In addition it can be useful in case the minor wishes to reunify with his-her family.

  15. IOM Family Tracing Activities and Assisted Voluntary Return of UAMs residing in Italy Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) • Implemented in case the minor wishes to be reunited with his/her familyandit is ascertained that family reunification upholds his/her best interest (according to the decision of the Italian Committee and the other relevant judicial/local authorities, also based upon the results of the family tracings) • The reintegration project  based on opportunities actually available in the minor’s context of origin and on specific personal counseling with the minor. • focus on the minor’s needs and capabilities (for ex. contributing to complete his/her education or enroll into a vocational training or set up a small business activity) • In order to be sustainable, it has to duly take in account the family’s situation and needs.

  16. IOM Family Tracing Activities and Assisted Voluntary Return of UAMs residing in Italy 50% of AVRR has so far concerned vulnerable minors • After having been assisted in reuniting with their families, the 10 beneficiaries were assisted as follows: - 2 Kosovar minors received reintegration grants for the start-up of a small business (woodwork workshop and purchase of carpentry tools); - 1 Albanian minor used his reintegration grant for setting up an internet-point in Elbasan; - 1 Bolivian female minor returned to the cares of her aunt, assisted with psychological support and school reintegration; - 1 Egyptian minor assisted in return to the cares of her grandfather; assisted in school reintegration (Italian/Arabic school, followed by Arabic intermediate private school); - 1 Chilean minor received medical assistance (two orthopedic surgeries) - 1 Moroccan female minor assisted to reunite to her sister in Spain; granted a vocational training reintegration; - 1 Brazilian minor assisted through enrollment to school and to a vocational training (web-design); will also receive medical assistance (orthopedic surgery); - 1 Moldovan minor was assisted in his return to school; granted a vocational training and job-orientation after completing intermediate school; - 1 Dominican minor, aged 12; granted school reintegration and psychological assistance for himself and his mother

  17. IOM Rome Reintegration activities in favour of applicants / beneficiaries of international protection • Currently, IOM Rome is involved in three projects - Mare Nostrum, Nautilus and Microfinance for refugees - designed to promote the social inclusion of refugees / beneficiaries of international protection. • The ultimate goal of such projects is to promote initiatives able to favour matching between labour supply and demand as well as social insertion of this particular category of migrants.

  18. Mare Nostrum and Nautilus • Mare Nostrum and Nautilus envisage the organization of cultural orientation courses in all asylum seekers centres (CARA). • Followed by activities aiming at profiling beneficiaries’ professional skills through questionnaires and interviews, and eventually the creation of a database of their professional profiles in order to match labour market shortages.

  19. Cultural orientation • Cultural orientation courses carried out in CARA are structured in modules (such as aspects of Italian culture, rights and duties of citizens, the Italian institutions, career guidance, standards and employment services, rules on safety and health of workers, the National Health System (NHS), etc.). • Operators in each CARA are called to accompany beneficiaries to develop their own plans of job placement and to favour their liaison with public and private employment offices, employment agencies and other subjects authorized to promote matching demand and supply of labour.

  20. The Microcredit Component • The Microcredit program, aims to carry out a preliminary research among refugees about their interest to microfinance and microcredit tools in order to enhance their capacity to start microenterprises or other personal projects. • In the same time a research is carried out among microfinance institutions in order to know their interest towards this new target and potential customers group, A series of orientation course will follow.

  21. Next steps • In the context of inclusive policies promoted by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, together with Ministry of Interior, IOM is committed to extend current activities delivered within these 3 projects, in three ways: • Firstly extending interventions to asylum seekers arriving in Italy as a result of the crisis in North Africa • Secondly proposing to extend the training activities, from cultural orientation to language training and vocational training. • Thirdly improving up the existing mechanisms of linkage of beneficiaries with structures authorized to match demand and supply, or with enterprises interested to facilitate their placement in the labour market.

  22. Strategy • The main tool of such strategy is the recourse to training vouchers , assigned to refugees and that can be spent only on retraining activities, internships or pilot experience of inclusion in enterprises. • The main goal is offering to this category of migrants an asset to incentive their recruitment by labour agencies and enterprises, which can recognize the correspondence of their skills to their own labour shortages, count on trained people, and eventually receive an economic incentive to facilitate their integration.

  23. Thank you!

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