International Organization for Migration IOM

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• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
• Niklas Bergstrand

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IOM internationally

• Formed in 1951
• Headquarters in Geneva
• 120 member states
• Offices in more than 100 countries
• Work in many different fields such as managing
  labour migration, migration health, migration
  research, counter-trafficking, voluntary return
  etc
• More than 1400 ongoing projects worldwide

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IOM UK

• Have since 1999 helped over 23 000 migrants to
  return to 130 different countries
• Offices in London, Bristol, Liverpool and Glasgow
• Work in partnership with Refugee Action, Safe
  Haven Yorkshire, WARS, North East Refugee Service

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How IOM can help

• Providing confidential advice
• Obtaining travel documents
• Paying for flight tickets
• Assistance at check-in/arrival
• Medical escort (if needed)
• Onward domestic travel
• Reintegration assistance in home country

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Reintegration assistance

• Financial assistance to help towards
• Establishment of small business
• Vocational training / Further Education
• Childrens school fees
• Job placement
• Payment of medical costs (on case-by-case basis)

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Reintegration assistance

• Also (if needed)
• - Extra baggage allowance
• Payment of childcare fees
• Payment of temporary accommodation

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ECUADORConvenience Shop
ETHIOPA Photocopy/Printing business
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AFGHANISTANShoe making business
IRANOstrich farm
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SOUTH AFRICATelephone business
ZIMBABWEBeauty Salon
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VIETNAMWater Drilling business
SRI LANKAPoultry Farm
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ALBANIACarpentry apprentice
KOSOVOWorking as a chef
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Capacity building

• Partnerships with local grassroots partners to
  enhance opportunities for returnees
• Currently running business training in Zimbabwe,
  Angola, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka and
  Georgia

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VARRP

• Voluntary Assisted Return and Reintegration
  Programme
• Open to those in the asylum system who
• are waiting for Home Office decision
• have been refused by Home Office
• are appealing against Home Office decision
• have had their appeal rejected
• have been granted Exceptional Leave to Remain /
  Humanitarian Protection / Discretionary Leave to
  Remain

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VARRP departures by country 2006

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AVRIM

• Assisted Voluntary Return for Irregular
  Migrants
• Open to irregular/illegal migrants, ie
• People without legal documentation to stay in UK
• People who were smuggled or trafficked into UK
• Visa overstayers

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AVRIM departures by country 2006

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Main difference between AVRIM and VARRP
assistance

• VARRP programme offers reintegration assistance
• AVRIM programme usually does not offer
  reintegration assistance however exception is
  made for medical cases, unaccompanied minors and
  vulnerable groups on case-by-case basis

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Unaccompanied Minors

• Multi-agency approach
• Voluntary returns only take place if in the best
  interests of the child.
• IOM liaises with social worker and guardian and
  interviews child to assess whether voluntary
  return is in his/her best interests
• IOM together with partners conducts family
  re-tracing and assessments to establish that the
  family is able and willing to receive the child

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Explore and Prepare

• Allows Afghan nationals to return to Afghanistan
  and assess situation up to 1 year
• Open to Afghans with ELR, ILR, Humanitarian
  Protection/Discretionary Leave, Refugee status
• Individuals will not lose their status in the UK
  if they wish to return within 1 year.

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Return process

• Application form faxed/sent to IOM
• Application sent by IOM to Home Office for
  approval
• AVRIM clients fingerprinted
• Travel documents arranged with embassy
• Flight tickets booked
• Client departs (usually between 1-3 months after
  application submitted)
• Reintegration assistance through field office

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International Organization for Migration(IOM) 21
Westminster Palace Gardens Artillery Row London
SW1P 1RR www.iomlondon.org Freephone 0800 783
2332