Country

Luxembourg

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Luxembourg

	IOM	Migration office / state department
Actors in return field in Luxembourg	IOM Belgium and Luxembourg	Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Directorate of Immigration Return Service
First time counselling / perspective counselling		x
Assisting with organizing travel documents		x
Preparing the return rnof 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)		NA
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
Staying in touch with returnee		NA

Return numbers

Luxembourg	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Assisted voluntary return	272	199	38	80	58 (without December)

Statistics and publications – Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs // The Luxembourg Government (gouvernement.lu)

Return budget

Basic cash assistance per adult: 500€

Reintegration budget

The in-kind reintegration assistance amounts to 3000€ and up to 5000€ per family. In vulnerable cases, 700€ per person can be granted in addition. Not every returnee receives the same fiancial assistance. The assistance is determined based on the individual adminstrative status and nationality.

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs (MEA)
Directorate of Immigration
Return Service

Amount of counsellors: 2-3

Contact in Luxembourg

Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
9, rue du Palais de Justice
L-1841 Luxembourg
Phone (+352) 247-82300
Fax(+352) 247-88347 (for return)
E-Mail: immigration.readmission@mae.etat.lu

Useful links and statistics

Directorate of immigration – Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs // The Luxembourg Government (gouvernement.lu)

Last update: July 2023

Cyprus

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

Malta

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Malta

	AVRR Counsellor	Migration office / state department
Actors in return field in Malta	IOM Malta	Ministry for Home Affairs, Security, Reforms and Equality, Returns unit
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	NA
Offering professional training in EU country	NA
Applying for return budget	x (return budgets are forseen in the project documents; application is not necessary)	x
Granting return budget	x	x
Applying for plane ticket	x	x
Booking the plane / bus ticket	x	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	x
Organizing medical escort	x	x
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure	x	x
Escort to airport	x	x
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner	x	x
Staying in touch with returnee	x	x

Return budget

Pre-departure cash allowance per person 200€

Reintegration budget

Reintegration assistance is 3,800€, in-kind, if applicable;

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

Return numbers

IOM Malta	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Assisted voluntary return	21	16	7	37	43

Top countries of return in Malta

2022 from Malta
1. Ghana
2. Sudan
3. North Macedonia
4. Nigeria, Mali, Venezuela (same numbers of return)

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

IOM Malta, 2 AVRR counsellors

Contact in Malta

IOM Malta
Address: 12, Antonio Agius street, Floriana FRN 1135, Malta
Tel: +356 2790 0050; direct: +356 7937 4613
E-mail: iommalta@iom.int

Useful links and statistics

https://malta.iom.int/

Last update: July 2023

Spain

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Spain

	AVRR Counsellor	IOM	Training organisation
Actors in return field in Spain	NGOs: RED ACOGE – AESCO – CEPAIM – ACULCO – FUNDACIÓN SAN EZEQUIEL MORENO – FUNDACIÓN ACOBE – ASOCIACIÓN RUMIÑAHUI – YMCA – TREBALL SOLIDARI – FUNDACIÓN CRUZ BLANCA	IOM Spain	TREBALL SOLIDARI: Colombia,Honduras – ACULCO: Colombia – RUMIÑAHUI: Ecuador – AESCO: Colombia, Paraguay – CEPAIM: Senegal – FUNDACIÓN SAN EZEQUIEL MORENO: Nicaragua, Colombia – IOM: Colombia, Honduras, Senegal
First time counselling / perspective counselling	x	x
Assisting with organizing travel documents	x	x
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients	x	x
Registering clients for professional training in EU country	x	x
Offering professional training in EU country		x	x
Applying for return budget	x	x
Granting return budget	x	x
Applying for plane ticket	x	x
Booking the plane / bus ticket	x	x
Applying for reintegration budget	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
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner		x
Staying in touch with returnee		x	x

Return budget

IOM: Financial aid of 450 € (supporting with the first needs)
Other NGOs: 50€ per person, 400€ maximum per family unit

Reintegration budget

IOM: For nationals from Colombia, Honduras, Senegal: technical, economic and monitoring assistance for the start-up of a small business in the country of origin (amount not disclosed)
Other NGOs: 400€ per person, 1600€ maximum per family + extra budget for business start-up (1000€ per person, 5000€ maximum per family unit)
Not every returnee receives the same fiancial assistance. The assistance is determined based on the individual adminstrative status and nationality.

Return numbers, Spain (IOM)

	2021	2022	2023
Voluntary returns, IOM Spain	913	904	700

Return numbers, Spain (Red Acoge)

	01/07/2023 – 15/06/2024
Voluntary returns, Red Acoge	127

Top countries of return in Spain, Red Acoge

01/07/2023 – 15/06/2024
1. Colombia (73)
2. Honduras (14)
3. Argentina (10)
4. Nicaragua (8)
5. Venezuela (8)

Return counselling providers

11 actors:

IOM SPAIN
RED ACOGE
AESCO
CEPAIM
ACULCO
FUNDACIÓN SAN EZEQUIEL MORENO
FUNDACIÓN ACOBE
ASOCIACIÓN RUMIÑAHUI
YMCA
TREBALL SOLIDARI
FUNDACIÓN CRUZ BLANCA

Contacts in Spain

IOM Spain
C/ Fernando el Católico nº 10. 1ºB
28015, Madrid, España
+34 915943670
iommadridops@iom.int

Red Acoge
Calle Cea Bermúdez, 43, 3ºB 28003, Madrid
+34 915633779
acoge@redacoge.org

Useful links and statistics

Retorno voluntario al país de origen – Red Acoge

https://spain.iom.int/es/proyecto-de-retorno-voluntario-y-reintegracion

https://spain.iom.int/sites/g/files/tmzbdl1141/files/inline-files/AVRR%20Info%20Sheet%20-%20EN_0-2.pdf

Last update: July 2024

Sweden

Reintegration budget

The reestablishment support is SEK 30,000 for each person over 18, and SEK 15,000 for children under 18 years of age. The most a family can receive is SEK 75,000. Not every returnee receives the same fiancial assistance. The assistance is determined based on the individual adminstrative status and nationality.

Return numbers in Sweden *

Top 5 countries of return in Sweden	2022
1. Iraq	1700
2. Iran	893
3. Afghanistan	548
4. Somalia	444
5. Russia	254

*information source: Red Cross, Sweden

Return counselling providers in Sweden

Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket)

Swedish Red Cross (Svenska Röda Korset), without formal agreement with Swedish Migration Agency

Contact in Sweden

Swedish Migration Agency
(Migrationsverket)
Tel. +46 771 235 235
Visiting addresses: https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Contact-us/Visit-us.html

Useful links and statistics

https://www.migrationsverket.se/English/Private-individuals/Leaving-Sweden/Rejection-of-application-for-asylum/Returning-voluntarily

Last update: July 2023

Ireland

More information on the AVRR counselling system in Ireland will be added here soon.

Return counselling provider

IOM Ireland

Immigration Service Delivery – Department of Justice – Voluntary Returns Unit

Contact in Ireland

IOM Ireland
116 Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, Ireland
1800 406 406 (Freephone)
+353 1 676 0655 (Phone)
+353 1 6760656 (Fax)
Email: iomdublin@iom.int

Immigration Service Delivery – Department of Justice – Voluntary Returns Unit
Arrangement
13-14 Burgh Quay
Dublin 2
D02 XK70
Email: voluntaryreturns@justice.ie

Useful links and statistics

www.irishimmigration.ie/my-situation-has-changed-since-i-arrived-in-ireland/voluntary-returns/

Last update: July 2023

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

	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Assisted voluntary return	1076	667	614	3884	7383

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	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 Croatia	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Assisted voluntary return	0	8	40	38	9

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

Greece

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Greece

	AVRR Counsellor	Migration office / state department
Actors in the return field Greece	IOM Greece	Ministry of Migration and Asylum, Ministry of Citizen Protection
First time counselling	x (IOM outreach team speaks about voluntary return; interested clients are referred to the IOM registration unit)
Assisting with organizing travel documents	x
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients	x (IOM has its own medical unit with 4 doctors and 4 nurses to prepare vulneralbe clients for return)
Registering clients for professional training in EU country	NA
Offering professional training in EU country	NA
Applying for return budget	x (depending on where the client applies for voluntary return in Greece, mainland or island, the financial assistance differs)
Granting return budget		x
Applying for plane ticket	x
Booking the plane / bus ticket	x (by IOM movement unit; every returnee flies from Athens airport)
Applying for reintegration budget	x (by IOM reintegration unit)
Preparing a business plan ( in case of business start-up)	x
Granting reintegration budget
Final counselling	x (by IOM pre-departure unit)
Organizing medical escort	x
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure	x ( at the airport by IOM airport operations team)
Escort to airport	x
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner	x
Staying in touch with returnee	x

Return budget

The IOM return program offers assistance of 1000€ per person to returnees who live on mainland Greece and 500€ per person to returnees who sign up for voluntary return on the Greek islands

Reintegration budget

1500€ per person (AMIF)
The EEA grant also funds reintegration for vulnerable migrants (1,700€ per individual / 2000€ per family in-kind)
Not every returnee receives the same fiancial assistance. The assistance is determined based on the individual adminstrative status and nationality.

Return numbers

IOM Greece	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Assisted voluntary return	NA	951	2565	2737	3065

Top 5 countries of return

IOM Greece – 2022
1. Georgia (1640)
2. Pakistan (571)
3. India (208)
4. Iraq (155)
5. Bangladesh (128)

Return counselling providers and amount of counsellors

IOM Greece in 13 locations: between 30 and 40 staff working in the AVRR department

List of all IOM Greece units involved in return: Outreach, Reintegration and Cultural Mediation, Protection Unit, Health Division, Movement Unit, Pre-departure Unit and Reintegration Unit.

Special offer by IOM Greece: free accommodation and food for selected returnees in the OCAVRR Open Center in Athens

Contact in Greece

IOM – The UN Migration Agency
6, Dodekanisou, Alimos 174 56,
Athens, Greece
Tel. +30 210 9919 040
E-mail: iomathens@iom.int

Useful links and statistics

Δ.Ο.Μ. | Υπουργείο Μετανάστευσης και Ασύλου (migration.gov.gr)

Assisted Voluntary Return & Open Center | IOM Greece | IOM Greece

Last update: July 2023

France

Steps for counselling and organising the return from France

	Migration office / state department	Other actors
Actors in return field in France	French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII)	Frontex JRS / BAMF-URA-Kosovo
First time counselling / perspective counselling	X
Assisting with organizing travel documents	X
Preparing the return of vulnerable clients
Registering clients for professional training in EU country	Not available
Offering professional training in EU country	X (With local service providers contracted by OFII in 16 countries)	X (With service providers contracted by Frontex in 5 countries or through BAMF-URA office in Kosovo)
Applying for return budget	X
Granting return budget	X
Applying for plane ticket	X
Booking the plane / bus ticket	X (on FAR with Frontex assistance: deployment of a Frontex return specialist in Charles de Gaulle Airport)
Applying for reintegration budget	X
Preparing a business plan (in case of business start-up)	X (With local service providers contracted by OFII in 16 countries)	X (With service providers contracted by Frontex in 5 countries or through BAMF-URA office in Kosovo)
Granting reintegration budget	X (AMIF fund and French national budget)	X (Frontex and French national budget for JRS ; AMIF fund and French national budget in Kosovo)
Final counselling	X (With local service providers contracted by OFII in 16 countries)	X (With service providers contracted by Frontex in 5 countries or through BAMF-URA office in Kosovo)
Organizing medical escort
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure	X
Escort to airport
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner	X
Staying in touch with returnee	X (With local service providers contracted by OFII in 16 countries)	X (With service providers contracted by Frontex in 5 countries or through BAMF-URA office in Kosovo

Return budget

Plane ticket and travel costs from the place of residence to the airport

650€/person for third country nationals subject to visa requirements

300€/person for third country nationals exempt from visa requirements and Kosovo

Reintegration budget

Reintegration financial support (average amount) for Armenia, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameron, Congo Brazzaville, Congo DRC, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Morocco, Mauritius, Senegal, Togo, Tunisia:

Level 1 – Social assistance : 400€/adult and 300€/child
Level 2 – Employment assistance : 960€ (professional training) and 2436€ (job aids)
Level 3 – Business creation assistance : 5000€

Georgia (average amount):

Level 1 – Social assistance : 400€/adult and 300€/child
Level 2 – Employment assistance : 870€ (professional training)
Level 3 – Business creation assistance : 2900€

JRS – FRONTEX countries (Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan): In family case 2000€ for main beneficiary + 1000€ per companion. For a single returnee 3000€.

URA reintegration program in Kosovo: 1500€ (on average)

Return numbers in France

OFII	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Assisted voluntary return	10 678	8 781	4 519	4 678	4981

Top 5 countries of return

OFII	2022
1.Georgia	867
2. Albania	755
3. Algeria	428
4. Pakistan	213
5. Armenia	198

Return counselling providers and amount of offices in France

Office Français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration (OFII): 31 offices in France and 6 offices abroad in charge of reintegration in 16 countries

Contact in France

Find the contact details to the 31 offices here: Contact | OFII (retourvolontaire.fr)

Useful links and statistics

http://www.retourvolontaire.fr/

Return to your country – Ofii

Rapports d’activité – Ofii

Last update: July 2023

Belgium

Steps for counselling and organising the return from Belgium

	IOM	Migration office / state department	Other actors
Actors in return field in Belgium	IOM Belgium	FEDASIL	Caritas International Belgium
First time counselling / perspective counselling	X	X	X
Assisting with organizing travel documents	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
Granting return budget		X
Applying for plane ticket	X	x
Booking the plane / bus ticket	X	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	x	X
Organizing medical escort	X
Disbursing return budget in EU country / giving cash assistance just before the departure	X	x
Escort to airport	NA
Connecting returnee with reintegration partner	X		X
Staying in touch with returnee	X		X