Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegrations - International Organization for Migration (IOM) Slovakia

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The assisted voluntary returns to the country of origin have been one of the key activities of IOM in Slovakia since 1999. The legal framework of the programme is based on the Cooperation Agreement between the International Organization for Migration and the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic on Assistance with the Return of Unsuccessful Asylum Applicants and Illegal Migrants to the Country of Origin, which was concluded in in 1998.

The right of a person to return to the country of origin is enshrined in a number of human rights documents. According to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights “everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country”. The Slovak Republic in line with its international commitments respects the right of any person to return back to the country of origin. According to the Act no. 404/2011 Coll. on the residence foreigners can apply for a voluntary return from the Slovak Republic back to the country of their origin on any grounds.

The AVRR (Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration) Programme ensures coordinated, humane and cost-effective returns of third country nationals who cannot or do not want to stay in Slovakia and wish to return voluntarily to the country of origin. IOM assistance to migrants with reintegration into society upon their return through reintegration grants is also a part of the programme.

The programme is based on the principle of voluntariness. Thus, a foreigner registered with the programme can decide not to return to the country of origin at any time. IOM puts emphasis on ensuring safety and dignity of migrants throughout the whole return process. Other persons who could prevent a migrant from leaving are not informed about his/her decision.

The AVRR Programme web site: www.avr.iom.sk.

Voluntary Return and Reintegration in Country of Origin (Individual Project). The project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.

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International Organization for Migration (IOM) in cooperation with the Slovak Republic provides third-country nationals without residence permit or unsuccessful asylum seekers assistance with and upon their return back home.

Return home with IOM is voluntary and depends on the free decision of the migrant.

Who can apply for the return?

Migrants without residence permit in Slovakia
Asylum seekers who wish to return home
Unsuccessful asylum seekers

How Can IOM Help?

IOM provides assistance with return home and after the return to migrants based on their individual needs and the assistance may include:

Provision of information and counselling on return
Registration into the AVRR programme
Return preparation
Assistance with acquiring travel documents
Food, accommodation, clothes, health care
Provision of travel tickets to the country of origin
Assistance at the airport (at departure, in transit countries and upon arrival) and transfer from the airport to home

The reintegration assistance after the return may include:

Business start-up or entering into partnership with a company
Material assistance
Education
Temporary accommodation assistance
Training/courses
Medical assistance
Other types of assistance (e.g. legal counselling or job search assistance)

There is no legal entitlement for the post return assistance.

Contact us:

For more information contact IOM staff through the low rate AVRR help-line 0850 211 262 or visit our webpage on AVRR: www.avr.iom.sk.

Information on AVRR Programme to migrants is available in Slovak, English, Russian and Serbian language.

Voluntary Return and Reintegration in Country of Origin (Individual Project). This project is co-funded by the European Union from the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF). Home Affairs Funds.

Details: Category: Assisted Voluntary Returns and Reintegrations; Hits: 8280

Returns in the world

Assisted voluntary returns and reintegration (AVRR) have been provided worldwide already for four decades. Since 1979 the programme has helped more than 1.7 million migrants, who used the human, dignified and safe return home, and arranged returns to more than 170 countries worldwide. Read more information.

Slovakia

The assistance within the AVRR Programme has been provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) since 1998 based on the Agreement on Cooperation between the IOM and the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic on the assistance with the return of unsuccessful asylum seekers and illegal migrants to the country of origin.

In total, IOM assisted 1,784 foreigners who returned to 69 countries from 2004 to 31 December 2022, on average 94 migrants per year. The majority returned to Moldova (13.90%), China (10.37%), Viet Nam (10.03%), Ukraine (8.18%) and Iraq (7.96%).

Statistics of IOM assisted voluntary returns from 2004.

Returns by age

The number of returnees in the period of 2004 to 31 December 2022 in the age group 0–17 years accounted for 7.23% of all returnees, the share of the age group 18–30 years is 48.49%, while 38.73% of people who returned within the AVRR Programme were aged 31–50 years and 5.55% were migrants over 51 years.

Return statistics according to sex

In the period from 2004 to 31 December 2022 the share of male foreigners who returned within the AVRR programme was 73.37%, female migrants accounted for 26.63%.

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Reintegration assistance to migrants after returning home

From 2009 until the end of December 2022 IOM provided reintegration assistance to 370 individuals or families in 39 countries in the whole world. They received reintegration assistance in the amount of 541,045.49 euro.

In 2022 IOM Slovakia assisted 16 individuals or whole families who returned to Armenia, Georgia, Moldova and Vietnam. For the first time IOM also supported the reintegration of migrants after their return to Uzbekistan and Zimbabwe. In 2022, IOM provided the returnees with reintegration assistance worth of €22,986.97, which they mainly used for the house reconstruction, temporary accommodation assistance, health care for returnees and combination of several types of assistance.

In 2021 IOM Slovakia provided reintegration assistance to 28 individuals or whole families that returned within the AVRR programme to Serbia and Ukraine. They used the reintegration assistance in the value of €36,253.47 mainly for the temporary accommodation assistance, for the house reconstruction, health care for returnees or combination of several types of assistance.

In 2020 IOM Slovakia assisted 25 individuals or whole families who returned to Georgia, Iran, Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine. For the first time IOM also supported the reintegration of foreigners after their return to Morocco. In 2020, IOM provided the returnees with reintegration assistance worth of €34,864.49, which they mainly used for temporary accommodation assistance, for the house reconstruction, to set up small business activities and combination of several types of assistance.

In 2019 IOM Slovakia provided reintegration assistance to 41 individuals or whole families that returned within the AVRR programme to Afghanistan, Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Macedonia, Moldova, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, Thailand, Ukraine and Viet Nam. They used the reintegration assistance in the value of €59,457.05 mainly for the temporary accommodation assistance, house reconstruction, small business activities or combination of several types of assistance.

In 2018 IOM Slovakia assisted 34 individuals or whole families who returned to Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, China, Macedonia, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Viet Nam. For the first time IOM also supported the reintegration of foreigners after their return to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Gambia and Tunisia. In 2018, IOM provided the returnees with reintegration assistance worth of €47,967.45, which they mainly used to set up small business activities, for the house reconstruction, for temporary accommodation assistance, for covering education expenses or to combine several types of assistance.

In 2017 IOM provided reintegration assistance worth of € 27,842.25 to 22 individuals or whole families that returned to Afghanistan, Georgia, India, Iraq, Moldova, Pakistan, Serbia – Kosovo, Ukraine and Viet Nam. For the first time IOM implemented reintegration assistance also in Ghana and the United States. Returnees used the reintegration assistance mainly to set up small business activities, for material assistance for the house reconstruction and for temporary accommodation assistance.

In 2016 IOM Slovakia provided reintegration assistance to 20 individuals or whole families that returned within the AVRR programme to Afghanistan, Belarus, Brazil, Cuba, India, Iraq, Iran, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Thailand, Ukraine and Viet Nam. They used the reintegration assistance in the value of €31,483.26 mainly for business activities, for ensuring basic living needs and for covering education expenses.

In 2015 IOM Slovakia provided reintegration assistance worth of €31,275.53 to 17 individuals or whole families that returned within the AVRR programme to Georgia, India, Kenya, Serbia – Kosovo, Mexico, Moldavia and Viet Nam. They used the reintegration assistance mainly for business activities and for ensuring basic living needs – material assistance and temporary accommodation assistance.

In 2014 IOM Slovakia provided reintegration assistance in the amount of €43,229.98 to 29 individuals or whole families after their return to Afghanistan, Brazil, Georgia, China, India, Iraq, Macedonia, Mexico, Moldavia, Namibia, Pakistan, Russia, Serbia, Turkey, Ukraine and Viet Nam. From various types of offered assistance migrants were mostly interested in business start-ups, material assistance and temporary accommodation assistance.

In 2013 the total volume of reintegration assistance was €44,737.79. The assistance was provided by IOM Slovakia to 31 individuals or entire families who returned to country of origin within AVRR Programme and who applied for reintegration grant. Reintegration assistance was delivered in Afghanistan, Armenia, China, India, Iraq, Serbia – Kosovo, Moldova, the Russian Federation and Viet Nam, and included support of education, businness, material assistance, temporary accommodation and health care for returnees.

In 2012 IOM Slovakia the returnees with reintegration assistance in the value of €42,122.28. A total of 27 cases consisting of individuals or whole families who opted for assisted voluntary return and applied for reintegration assistance were assisted with reintegration grant. The assisted cases originated from Vietnam, Moldova, Armenia, China, Iran, Macedonia, Nepal, the Russian Federation, Serbia – Kosovo, Thailand, Turkey and Ukraine.

In 2011 IOM Slovakia assisted in 26 cases – to individuals or entire families, who returned to Georgia, Serbia (including Kosovo), Moldova, Viet Nam, Ukraine, Armenia, Iraq and Azerbaijan. IOM provided returnees with reintegration assistance in the form of services and goods reimbursement in the total amount of €35,783.79.

In 2010 IOM Slovakia assisted with reintegration of 33 individuals or families after their return to Georgia, Moldova, Serbia (including Kosovo), Viet Nam and the Russian Federation in the form of services and goods reimbursement in the total value of €45,060.90.

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