Voluntary Return and Reintegration

Overview

Introduction

This overview presents the key concepts, context, and implementation considerations related to the design of interventions related to voluntary return and/or sustainable reintegration, as well as the proposed results chains and indicators for this thematic area.

Key definitions

The definitions below are from the EU Strategy on Voluntary Return and Reintegration of 2021. Voluntary return refers to “the assisted or independent return of an individual to a third country based on the free will of the returnee”. Sustainable reintegration is a “multi-faceted concept that encompasses the needs and vulnerabilities of the individual, the economic, social and psychosocial reintegration in the community, cost-effectiveness for the donors and the contribution to local development. In addition to supporting individual returnees, the concept of sustainable reintegration has the broader goal of building up the capacity of receiving communities, the private sector and local stakeholders. The aim is to encourage partner countries to take ownership of the process to reintegrate and ultimately return and readmit their own nationals as part of the broader objectives for the country’s development and migration management”.

SDG Framework

Voluntary return and/or sustainable reintegration interventions particularly contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 10 on reducing inequalities, including Target 10.7 on safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people. They may also contribute to SDGs 1, 3, 8, 16, and 17 through support to livelihoods, well-being, governance, and social inclusion. The international framework in this area is informed by the United Nations Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (2018), particularly Objective 21, as well as relevant international human rights standards.

Context Analysis

Migrants in irregular situation in transit or destination countries are normally required to return to their country of origin - unless they are granted international protection, or their stay is otherwise regularised. Often, they face protection risks and situations of vulnerability, including limited access to protection, services, legal pathways, and opportunities for social inclusion or integration. In this context, assisted voluntary return programmes may support migrants wishing to return to their countries of origin in a safe, dignified, voluntary, and rights-compliant manner. In addition, effective reintegration support can help overcome the socio-economic and psychosocial difficulties migrants face when returning to their community and make their return more sustainable, while also supporting social cohesion and resilience in communities of return. Sustainable reintegration should also contribute to broader development strategies in partner countries to generate development benefits and to address some of the root causes of irregular migration.

However, return and reintegration processes may face several challenges. These include limited institutional capacities, weak governance and coordination systems, insufficient national ownership, inadequate legal and policy frameworks, and limited monitoring and data systems. Returnees may also face barriers in accessing livelihoods, social protection, psychosocial support, vocational training, financial services, and inclusive public services. Additional issues may arise in relation to stigma and discrimination towards returnees, vulnerabilities linked to gender, age, disability, or protection needs, and insufficient coordination between countries of origin, transit, and destination. Return and reintegration interventions may be further affected by funding constraints, stakeholder coordination challenges, and limited integration of reintegration measures within broader national development

EU Policy Priorities

Return and reintegration constitute an important component of the EU’s migration policy, external action, and development cooperation. As reflected in the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum (2024), the EU seeks to strengthen effective, safe, dignified, and rights-compliant return systems, while reinforcing cooperation with partner countries and supporting sustainable reintegration and national ownership. The EU Strategy on Voluntary Return and Reintegration (2021) promotes voluntary return and reintegration as part of a common EU return system, with emphasis on reintegration prospects, governance capacities, coordination structures, and monitoring systems in countries of origin, transit, and destination. The EU Guidance on Children’s Rights in Return Policies and Practices (2019) further highlights child-sensitive and best interest approaches throughout return and reintegration processes.

Through EU’s external actions, the EU assists migrants and their families in countries of transit or destination outside the EU to voluntarily return and reintegrate back home. It further supports partner countries in strengthening return and reintegration governance systems, referral mechanisms, legal and policy frameworks, relevant information tools, coordination structures, reintegration services, and evidence-based approaches.

Consideration for the design of interventions

Interventions on voluntary return and/or sustainable reintegration should be designed in line with relevant EU, international, and national legal and policy frameworks, while fostering complementarities and synergies with other relevant EU initiatives and cooperation programmes. They should be developed in close coordination with countries of origin, transit, and destination, as well as international, national, and local authorities, civil society organisations, host communities, and relevant service providers. The generic results chain proposed for this topic is aligned with EU commitments and good practice formulation standards in the sector and may serve as a reference for the design of related interventions.

Results chains should consider the different stages of the return and reintegration process, including pre-departure information and counselling, return assistance, post-arrival support, referral mechanisms, and longer-term reintegration measures. They must address key challenges affecting the sustainability of reintegration as described in the context analysis. Vulnerabilities linked to gender, age, disability, child protection, and other protection needs should be considered throughout the intervention cycle.

The sector guidance indicators in this thematic area should be used, where relevant, to measure the results of specific interventions, without modifications or adaptations, in order to facilitate the aggregation of results across logframes and support greater alignment and comparability between interventions. Selected indicators may be combined with additional indicators, as appropriate to the intervention context and expected results.

Where interventions focus on specific sectors such as social protection, governance, employment and vocational education and training (VET), health, education, child protection, gender equality, community development, or forced displacement, it is strongly recommended to also consult relevant results chains and indicator guidance developed for those sectors.