Workshop on AVRR Policies and Practices

1. Regional Workshop on Policies, Practices and Conclusions on the Return, Reintegration and Integration of Migrants San José, Costa Rica, September 17-18, 2013 International Organization for Migration (IOM) Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration 1

2. Migration and Return Management • The Concept of Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) • A Brief History of AVRR • The Stages of AVRR • Assistance prior to departure • Return • Reception • Assistance for reintegration • Monitoring • Statistical Data on AVRR • Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Approach Contents

3. 1) Migration and Return Management

4. Migrants: • Considers the decision of each migrant; • Ensures respect for human rights; • Avoids the stigma of forced return and negative repercussions for reintegration; • Counselling, financial or logistical support and reintegration support. • Governments • Lower costs for receiving countries; • Politically “digestible” for both – country of origin and receiving country; • Promotes international cooperation. Migration and AVRR Management

5. 2) The Concept of AVRR

6. Return: The act of returning from the country of destination or transit to the prior country of transit or country of origin. • Voluntary Return: Independent and assisted return based on the free will of the returning person. • Spontaneous Return: Individuals or groups that initiate and proceed with their return without any external assistance. • Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR): • Logistical and financial support is provided by IOM to migrants that are unable or unwilling to stay in the receiving country and that voluntarily return to their country of origin or to a third country. Reintegration is the reincorporation of this person into a group or process; for example, a female migrant returning to the society of her country of origin. AVRR Glossary

7. Assistance during Reception (Initial Assistance) • Short-term humanitarian aid or medium-term reintegration support for returned migrants under the auspices of the government of the receiving country, after the migrant has been formally readmitted to the country of origin. AVRR Glossary (continued)

8. Benefits of AVRR vs. Forced Return: • The preferred alternative under return management policies, for example, in the European context; • Reduces the number of forced returns; • More benefits for migrants: • A more dignified and humane approach; • Enables providing unbiased and impartial counselling; • Based on cooperation between countries of origin, transit and destination. • Tends to be more cost-effective than forced return for the following reasons: • No high costs relating to administration of justice; • Reduces living expenses before the forced return. AVRR vs. Forced Return

9. 3) A Brief History of AVRR

10. 1951: The Constitution of IOM establishes various types of migration assistance and services that the Organization may provide for voluntary return, including voluntary repatriation (Art. 1(d)). • 1979: First implementation of a return programme to Germany – the basis for implementing similar programmes in other European countries in 1980 (Belgium) and during the 90s (Italy, Holland). • 1990: The Council of IOM formally recognizes the importance of AVRR within the context of the Balkan Wars. • 2010: The strategy of IOM:“Dignified, safe and humane return and reintegration options for irregular migrants and refuge seekers […] who wish to return voluntarily to their countries of origin.” (MC/INF/302 (2010)) History of AVRR

11. 4) AVRR in Figures

12. 2011: Global Coverage of AVRR Projects • AVRR counselling, assistance prior to departure and after arrival from 40 countries of destination; • Assistance during reception/reintegration in more than 160 countries of origin. • 2000 – 2010: Assistance provided to approx. 340.000 migrants. AVRR in Figures

13. 5) The Stages of AVRR

14. ASSISTANCE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE • SUPPORT DURING RECEPTION • REINTEGRATION SUPPORT • MONITORING The Stages of AVRR Programmes

15. 5.1) ASSISTANCE PRIOR TO DEPARTURE

16. Information dissemination • Establishing the profiles of migrants; • Implementation through diasporas, NGOs, migrant associations, newsletters, websites, etc. • Counselling to provide information about the return • Providing general information about the country of origin for the return and reintegration (country profile); • Information provided upon individual requests. • Health assessments • Preparing for the journey (assistance in obtaining documents, accompaniment, temporary shelter) Assistance Prior to Departure

17. The importance of providing updated, comprehensive and unbiased information about the country of origin; • An informed decision contributes to the sustainability of the return; • The possibility for migrants to decide if returning is the best alternative to deportation; • Counselling prior to departure is crucial in order to manage the expectations of the returning migrant. Assistance Prior to Departure (continued)

18. 5.2) The Return

19. Travel arrangements • Air ticket and luggage • Assistance with boarding • Assistance with transportation • to the airport • Financial support in cash • Assistance during the journey • Medical and other accompaniment • of migrants in vulnerable situations • Temporary shelter (if required) Assistance during the Return/Transit

20. 5.3) Assistance during Reception

21. Counselling and information • Identifying special needs • Preparing for the reintegration phase • Transportation to the community or family • Temporary shelter • Medical care or referral, if required Assistance during Reception

22. 5.4) Assistance for Reintegration

23. Assistance for Reintegration

24. Impact on the local community • Links to community development • Links to counselling prior to departure and • reintegration assistance • Focused on individual needs Assistance for Reintegration (continued)

25. 5.5) Monitoring

26. Measuring advances throughout the reintegration process; • Identifying needs/changes in populations of beneficiaries; • Collecting best practices and challenges faced during programme implementation; • Assessing: • Performance level of the reintegration assistance system; • The impact of reintegration assistance on the populations of beneficiaries; • The impact of reintegration assistance on local communities. Monitoring

27. Statistics

28. Statistics (continued)

29. Statistics (continued)

32. Areas of Capacity-Building in Countries of Destination: • Awareness-raising; • Collecting information about the country of origin; • Identifying diasporas; • Disseminating information to migrant communities; • Systems for referral to public services. Capacity-Building

33. Areas of Capacity-Building in Countries of Destination: • Strengthening the links between return and local development; • Access to services; • Strengthening local networks; • Local capacity-building for assistance during reintegration (through awareness-raising and training for NGOs); • Links with the private sector; • A focus on the needs of the returned migrants and their communities. Capacity-building (continued)

34. Thank you