Transnational Exchange VI

Riikka Schenk

Iceland

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Iceland

IOM Migration office / state department Other actors
Actors in return field in Iceland IOM Finland Icelandic Directorate of Immigration Receiving IOM missions
First time counselling / perspective counselling X X
Assisting with organizing travel documents X X
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients X
Registering clients for professional training in EU country
Offering professional training in EU country
Applying for return budget X
Granting return budget X
Applying for plane ticket X
Booking the plane / bus ticket X
Applying for reintegration budget X
Preparing a business plan (in case of business start-up) X X
Granting reintegration budget X
Final counselling X
Organizing medical escort X
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure X
Escort to airport NA
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner X X
Staying in touch with returnee X X

Return numbers

Iceland2021202220232024 (until May)
Assisted voluntary returns6299552227
The largest group of returnees in 2023 and 2024 is Venezuelans.

Return budget in Iceland

  • Amount of reintegration support can vary from 1200€ to 4200€ depending on the return country, chosen type of support and if the person has applied for AVRR in given time limit
  • Types of reintegration support: cash only or combination of cash and in kind
  • Small part of the support is paid in Iceland upon departure and majority in the return country by local IOM office

Return counselling providers

IOM Finland

Contact

IOM Finland
Unioninkatu 13, 6th floor
00130 Helsinki
Tel. +358 9 684 1150

Useful links and statistics

Assisted voluntary return (IOM) | Ísland.is (island.is)

Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration from Iceland | IOM Finland

Last update: May 2024

North-Macedonia

Information on AVRR in North-Macedonia is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Macedonia

Information on AVRR in Macedonia is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Albania

Information on AVRR in Albania is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Serbia

Information on AVRR in Serbia is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Bosnia

Information on AVRR in Bosnia is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Hungary

Information on AVRR in Hungary not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Slovenia

Information on AVRR in Slovenia is not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Latvia

Information on AVRR in Latvia not available to the Transnational Exchange VI project yet.

Austria

Steps for counselling and organizing the return from Austria

AVRR Counsellor IOM Migration office / state department Training organisation
Actors in return field in Austria Federal Agency for Care and Support Services (BBU) IOM Austria Austrian Federal Office for Immigration and Asylum (BFA) Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI)
First time counselling x
Assisting with organizing travel documents x x
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients x
Registering clients for professional training in EU country NA
Offering professional training in EU country NA
Applying for return budget x
Granting return budget x
Applying for plane ticket x
Booking the plane / bus ticket x x (for vulnerable clients)
Applying for reintegration budget x
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up) x
Granting reintegration budget x
Final counselling x
Organizing medical escort x
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure x
Escort to airport x
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner x
Staying in touch with returnee NA

Return budget

  • Depends on the status of the asylum application (digressive approach): between 250€ to 900€; decision by BFA
  • Add-on for vulnerabilities (up to €1500 p.p.)

Reintegration support

  • A combination of in-kind and cash reintegration support: 3000€
  • Offering/leading reintegration programs depening on the country of return: BMI, IOM Austria, Caritas Austria, JRS

Return numbers in Austria

20192020202120222023
Number of voluntary returns total57284551408580796910
https://www.bfa.gv.at/403/files/Detailstatistik_BFA_Kennzahlen_Jahr_2023.pdf

Top 5 countries of return in Austria

2023
1. Serbia (836)
2. Turkey (560)
3. Ukraine (417)
4. Georgia (417)
5. India (416)

Return counselling provider and amount of offices

Federal Agency for Care and Support Services (German: BBU)

For 20 years, until 2020, return and reintegration counselling was offered by two main actors in Austria: Caritas Austria and the Human Rights Association Austria (German: VMÖ). The focus laid on a low-threshold access for migrants interested in return offered by NGOs. The two NGOs offered its services in all federal states. Due to political and strategic changes, the decision was made by the government to create a new, centralized agency solely in charge of return.  

Number of offices in Austria: 12

Contact in Austria

BBU
Leopold-Moses-Gasse 4
1020 Wien
Tel. +34 800 80 8005
Tel. +43 1 2676 870 9 300
E-mail: rueckkehr@bbu.gv.at

Useful links and statistics

www.bbu.gv.at/en/what-we-do/

https://www.bmi.bund.de/EN/home/home_node.html

https://www.bfa.gv.at/

Last update: July 2024

Switzerland

Steps for counselling and organising the return in Switzerland

AVRR Counsellor Client IOM Migration office / state department Other actors
Actors in return field in Switzerland Caritas • IOM • Swiss Red Cross • Church contact point for refugee issues (local NGO) • State Secretary for Migration (SEM) • Cantonal migration Offices • ORS group • International social service (SSI) Returnee IOM Switzerland State Secretariat for Migration (SEM) Swissport (Airport assistance) • SSI (Service Social international)
First time counselling / perspective counselling x (In the framework of a pilot project, SEM is providing return counselling in the Federal Asylum Center Bern since 2022) x x
Assisting with organizing travel documents x x x x
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients x x x
Registering clients for professional training in EU country NA
Offering professional training in EU country NA
Applying for return budget x x x
Granting return budget x x
Applying for plane ticket x x
Booking the plane / bus ticket x x (mostly Ukrainians) x x
Applying for reintegration budget x x x
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up) x x x x
Granting reintegration budget x x (SSI)
Final counselling x x x
Organizing medical escort x x x
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure x x x x
Escort to airport x x
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner x
Staying in touch with returnee x x

Return budget

  • A basic cash allowance of maximum CHF 1000 per adult /1500 CHF   for couples / 2000 CHF for families. The amount varies depending on the time of registration and whether the person applies in a federal asylum center or in the canton.
  • An individual supplementary in-kind State Secretariat for Migration SEM assistance  of up to CHF 3000 for a social or professional reintegration project.  
  • In the Federal Asylum Centers both cash assistance and reintegration assistance depend on (1) the country of return and (2) the time of inscription for return assistance services (degressive model along three phases).  
  • When leaving from the cantons,  assistance of up to CHF 5,000 for special reintegration needs (e.g. professional and housing needs, cases of hardship or large families)
  • Individual return assistance for medical reasons: purchase of medicines and/or coverage of treatment following return for maximum 6 months, medical escorts, granted in addition to the in-kind and cash assistance.
  • A payment of CHF 100 per adult is also provided to cover expenditure relating to the journey. By way of exception, this amount can be increased to CHF 500 for a single person and CHF 1000 for a family.

Return numbers in Switzerland

20192020202120222023
Assisted voluntary return 107666761438847383

Top 5 countries of return in Switzerland

2023
1. Ukraine (5021)
2. Algeria (319)
3. Turkey (271)
4. Iraq (36)
5. Nigeria (32)

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

In Switzerland various institutions provide return counselling services: In the federal asylum centers, IOM (since 2007), return counseling office in Zurich and the SEM (since 2022 in the framework of a pilot project in Bern) run dedicated offices. On cantonal level, cantonal migration offices, NGOs (Swiss Red Cross, Caritas, KKH, SSI) and the private sector (ORS) are active. In total, there are around 80 counsellors throughout Switzerland.

Contact in Switzerland

IOM Switzerland
Thunstrasse 11 3006 Bern
Switzerland
Tel. +41 31 350 82 11		State Secretariat for Migration SEM
Quellenweg 6
Wabern
Tel. +41 58 465 11 11

Useful links and statistics

www.sem.admin.ch/sem/en/home/international-rueckkehr/rueckkehrhilfe.html

www.iom.ch

Last update: May 2024

Croatia

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Croatia

AVRR Counsellor Client Migration office / state department
Actors in return field in Croatia IOM Croatia – only from 12/2018 until 10/2022; currently AVRR counseling is not offered in Croatia Trainings for state actors are taking place at the moment – AVRR counselling might be offered soon again
First time counselling x
Assisting with organizing travel documents x
Preparing the return for vulnerable clients x
Registering clients for professional training in EU country NA
Offering professional training in EU country NA
Applying for return budget x
Granting return budget x
Applying for plane ticket x
Booking the plane / bus ticket x
Applying for reintegration budget x
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up) x
Granting reintegration budget x
Final counselling x
Organizing medical escort x
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure x
Escort to airport x
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner x
Staying in touch with returnee x

Return budget

Pocket money for traveling – 100€ per person (only until Oct 2022)

Reintegration budget

Not available for every returnee; eligibile are victims of trafficking, unaccompanied and separated migrant children, returnees with health concerns

1500 € per adult, 500-750 € per child (only until Oct 2022)

Not every returnee receives the same fiancial assistance. The assistance is determined based on the individual adminstrative status and nationality.

Return numbers

IOM Croatia20182019202020212022
Assisted voluntary return 0840389

Top 5 countries of return

2021
1. Afghanistan
2. Albania
3. Bangladesh
4. Colombia
5. Georgia

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

IOM Croatia: 4 counsellors (until Oct 2022)

Contact in Croatia

IOM Office in Croatia
Račkog 3/3
10000 Zagreb, Croatia
AVRR telephone line: +385 1 6463 887
E-mail: iomcroatiaavrr@iom.int

Useful links and statistics

https://croatia.iom.int/

Last update: July 2023