Transnational Exchange VI

Sedivy

Portugal

Steps for counselling and organising return in Portugal

AVRR Counsellor IOM Other actors
Actors in return field in Portugal Information and counselling network (informal): different NGOs working in the field of migration IOM Portugal Reintegration Network Brazil
First time counselling / perspective counselling X X
Assisting with organizing travel documents 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
Applying for reintegration budget X
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up) X X
Granting reintegration budget X
Final counselling NA
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 X
Staying in touch with returnee X X

Return budget

70€ per person in travel money (paid in Portugal prior to return)

Reintegration budget

  • €2000 per case (paid in cash in the country of return over two instalments, subject to the analysis of an individual reintegration plan)
  • €1000 per case for health-related problems (paid in the country of return, to complement traditional reintegration support, also subject to analysis)
  • €70 per person in travel money (paid in Portugal prior to return)

Return numbers in Portugal

20182019202020212022
Assisted voluntary return 380161340113394

Top countries of return

Top 5 countries of 
return in 2022 in Portugal
1. Brasil
2. Timor-Leste
3. Colombia
4. Angola
5. India

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

IOM Portugal provides counselling directly and manages an informal network of counselling and information distributed throughout the territory counting more than 30 focal points. The IOM Portugal AVRR team consists of 4 staff members.

Contact in Portugal

IOM PORTUGAL
Rua das Pedras Negras,16, 1100-534 Lisbon
+351.915 030 860

Useful links and statistics

https://portugal.iom.int/
https://portugal.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl521/files/documents/Newsletter%202021.pdf
www.retornovoluntario.pt

Last update: July 2023

Denmark

Steps for counselling and organising return in Denmark

AVRR Counsellor Migration office / state department Police Other actors
Actors in return field in Denmark Danish Refugee Council (DRC) Danish Return Agency Danish police Local reintegration partner
First time counselling / perspective counselling X X
Assisting with organizing travel documents 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 X
Granting return budget X
Applying for plane ticket X
Booking the plane / bus ticket X
Applying for reintegration budget X 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 X X
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner X X
Staying in touch with returnee X X

Reintegration support

  • Up to DKK 20,000 for individuals cooperating on preparing their departure.
  • Up to DKK 15,000 for individuals who have not initially cooperated on their departure but do so later.

The reintegration support is always granted as in-kind if there is a reintegration partner in the country. The reintegration support is only offered as cash if there is no reintegration partner in the country.

In addition to the reintegration support, the individual may be eligible for a supplementary cash amount if the asylum application is retracted after the Immigration Service has refused the request for asylum (first instance) but before the case is being processed by the Refugee Appeals Board (second and final instance).  

The supplementary cash amount is:

  • Up to DKK 20,000 if the asylum application is retracted within 14 days of receiving the Immigration Service’s decision to refuse asylum.
  • Up to DKK 10,000 if the asylum application is retracted later than 14 days after receiving the Immigration Service’s decision to refuse asylum.

Target group for reintegration support: Individuals who have received a refusal of asylum, or have retracted their application for asylum, may apply for reintegration support.

Return numbers (through DRC only*)


Rejected asylum seekers
Victims of trafficking
2019180N/A
20209116
20215525
20228818
202315225

Top countries of return

DRC’s top 5 countries of return 2023*, rejected asylum seekers
1. Iraq
2. Morocco
3. Belarus
4. Ghana and Somalia
5. Pakistan and Tunisia
* At the moment, the number of returnees who are returning without DRC counselling is unavailable. Therefore, the above numbers only reflect the returnees who have applied for reintegration support through DRC.

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

Danish Refugee Council (NGO): 8
Danish Return Agency (State): unknown number

Contact in Denmark

Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

Borgergade 10
1300 København K
Denmark

E-mail: drc@drc.ngo
Phone +45 33 73 50 00

Useful links and statistics

https://asyl.drc.ngo/

http://www.eng.hjemst.dk/repatriation-support/

Last update: May 2024

Finland

Steps for counselling and organising return in Finland

AVRR Counsellor Client IOM Migration office / state department Police
Actors in return field in Finland Finnish Immigration Service, Migri (including several reception center service providers) Returnee IOM Finland Finnish Immigration Service Finnish Police
First time counselling / perspective counselling X X
Assisting with organizing travel documents X X X
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients X 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
Granting return budget X X
Applying for plane ticket X X X
Booking the plane / bus ticket X
Applying for reintegration budget X X X
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up) X X
Granting reintegration budget X X
Final counselling X X
Organizing medical escort X
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure X
Escort to airport X X
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner X X X X
Staying in touch with returnee NA

Return budget

Cash assistance is between EUR 200 and 1,500 / adult and between EUR 100 and 750 for each child under 18 years old.

Reintegration budget

In-kind support is between EUR 3,000 and EUR 5,000, depending on the home country. The returnees can choose if they want the assistance paid in cash or in kind.

Increased cash assistance can also be applied for health reasons, for example. The increased assistance is paid on a case-by-case basis taking the entire situation into account.

Return numbers in Finland

20192020202120222023
Number of assisted voluntary returns391217148130181

Top 5 countries of return

Top countries of 
return in 2023 from Finland
1. Iraq (37)
2. Georgia (33)
3. Russian Federation (21)
4. Turkey (13)
5. Iran (Islamic Republic of) (10)

Return counselling providers

  • Return counselling is done in Finland by several actors, but mostly by social workers and counsellors at reception centers.
  • Finnish Immigration Service (Migri, in English FIS) provides some return counselling, especially to undocumented migrants. 
  • IOM Finland (partner of Migri) provides some counselling to voluntary returnees regarding travel arrangements and reintegration support.

Source: Migri (Finnish Immigration Service)

Contact in Finland

Postal address

Finnish Immigration Service
PO Box 10
FI-00086 Maahanmuuttovirasto

Email: migri@migri.fi (official registry office e-mail address)

Tel.: +358 50 413 8625 Return help desk
Tel.: +358 295 433 280 (authorities, stakeholders, partners)

Head office

Opastinsilta 12 A
Helsinki

Useful links and statistics

https://migri.fi/en/return
https://intermin.fi/en/areas-of-expertise/migration/voluntary-and-forced-return

Last update: May 2024

Germany

Steps for counselling and organising return in Germany

AVRR Counsellor Migration office / state department Training organisation Comment
Actors in return field in Germany NGOs like Caritas, Diakonie, Red Cross etc, IOM at reception centers, employees of (central) foreigners’ offices Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) Social impact, small projects by NGOs
First time counselling / perspective counselling X
Assisting with organizing travel documents X
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients X
Registering clients for professional training in EU country X
Offering professional training in EU country X (not available in all federal states)
Applying for return budget X
Granting return budget X The BAMF took over the role of IOM Germany in January 2024 and is granting and organising the return flights.
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 (The EURP Unit)
Final counselling X
Organizing medical escort Currently there is no solution to assist vulnerable migrants since the BAMF is still working on a contract with IOM Germany regarding this topic. The BAMF itself will not organise the assistance for vulnerable migrants.
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure X X The travel cash assistance (200€ per adult) is paid out by the counselling centre. The start-up assistance is handed out by a sub-contractor of the BAMF at four airports in Germany.
Escort to airport NA Exception: The cost of transportation by taxi to the airport is given in exceptional vulnerable cases.
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner X The BAMF is giving the contact details of the returnees to the reintegration partners, but the returnees are in charge of getting in touch with the reintegration partners after returning.
Staying in touch with returnee X

Return budget

  • Flight or bus ticket: travel costs from the place of residence to the airport or (bus) station;
  • Money for the journey: 200 EUR per person* (100 EUR per person under 18 years of age);
  • Early return incentive: 500€ per Person who returns during the asylum procedure 
  • Start-up money: 1,000 EUR per person (500 EUR per person under 18 years of age, maximum of EUR 4,000 per family)
  • Start-up money + after 6 – 8 months in the country of return: depending on the nationality either 800€ per family or 400€ per person 
  • Medical support: maximum of 2,000 EUR for up to three months after arrival in the country of destination

Reintegration budget (EURP)

  • Short-term assistance (“Post Arrival Package” – up to 14 working days after arrival):  EUR 615 per person
  • Long-term support (“Post Return Package” – up to 12 months after departure): EUR 2,000 for the main applicant and each additional family member EUR 1,000

Return numbers in Germany

20192020202120222023
Number of assisted voluntary returns1305356576800787710763

https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/Statistik/FreiwilligeRueckkehr/freiwilligerueckkehr-node.html

Top 5 countries of return

REAG GARP202120222023
1.Russian Federation (734)North Macedonia (1398)Turkey (1616)
2. Iraq (696)Iraq (907)North Macedonia (1549)
3. Georgia (671)Albania (807)Georgia (1522)
4. North Macedonia (444)Georgia (683)Albania (875)
5. Azerbaijan (359)Serbia (394)Iraq (809)

https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/Statistik/FreiwilligeRueckkehr/freiwilligerueckkehr-node.html

Contact in Germany

Bundesamt für Migration und Flüchtlinge (BAMF)

Frankenstr. 210
90461 Nürnberg
Deutschland

Email: info@bamf.bund.de

Internationale Organisation für Migration (IOM) Vertretung Deutschland

Charlottenstraße 68
10117 Berlin
Deutschland

Email: IOM-Germany@iom.int

Useful links and statistics

https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/Rueckkehr/rueckkehr-node.html
https://www.bamf.de/EN/Themen/Statistik/FreiwilligeRueckkehr/freiwilligerueckkehr-node.html  (statistics) 
https://www.returningfromgermany.de/en/ (website with overview of all progams and counselling centers)

Last update: May 2024