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
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of voluntary returns total | 5728 | 4551 | 4085 | 8079 | 6910 |
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
Last update: July 2024