Assisted Voluntary Return/Repatriation and Reintegration project
- Mary
- Jun 20, 2023
- 3 min read
The Assisted Voluntary Return/Repatriation and Reintegration program provides an opportunity for citizens of third countries to return to their homeland. This initiative was introduced in the European Union through the "Return Directive1" in 2008, which outlined regulations for repatriation, initially focusing on individuals from third countries residing illegally in Italy or European territories.
In Italy, the implementation of the Directive was integrated into the legal system with decree law 23/6/2011, n. 89, later converted into law 2/8/2011, n. 129.8, and included in the Consolidated Act of 1998.
The Assisted Voluntary Return was first introduced under the Turco-Napolitano Law, primarily targeting victims of trafficking. Return measures in Italy began on an experimental basis in the 1990s, mainly assisting migrants temporarily received on the Adriatic coast due to the collapse of the Hoxha regime, economic crises in Albania, and conflicts in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo.
The Bossi-Fini law of 2002 expanded the categories of beneficiaries to include asylum seekers, refugees, and holders of humanitarian residence permits.
The Ministry of the Interior, supported by international or intergovernmental organizations, local authorities, and NGOs, is responsible for the implementation of these programs. The Department for Civil Liberties and Immigration of the Ministry of the Interior manages the fund allocated for repatriations.
The program operates on an individual or family basis and consists of three phases: pre-departure counseling, departure, and reintegration in the country of origin.
During the second phase, the embassy or consulate of the returnee's country of origin becomes involved, as the consent of the migrant's home country is required. This is where readmission agreements come into play. Currently, the Italian government has signed bilateral readmission agreements with Egypt, Morocco, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, and Senegal, allowing for voluntary or forced repatriation of migrants from these countries.
Participation in this project is open to anyone. The Italian government provides a modest sum of between 2,000 and 3,000 euros to each beneficiary for their return home (although this amount is often insufficient to start a new future).
Given the limited economic aid, many migrants prefer to remain in an irregular status, as it enables them to send financial support to their families or villages and avoid potential hardships such as hunger or the inability to provide education for their children.
Factors that influence a migrant's decision to return include loss of employment, health reasons, irregularities in their status, family needs, preparedness for return, and more. Difficulties in integration within the host country, emotional factors like demoralization, nostalgia, and influence from family and friends in the country of origin, as well as negative outcomes of international protection applications, can also contribute to the decision to return.
On the other hand, there are factors that discourage migrants from returning, such as the requirement to surrender their residence permit, feelings of shame and failure associated with returning home, obstacles from the country of origin (e.g., non-recognition of educational qualifications or experiences acquired abroad), difficulties in obtaining necessary documentation from the embassy, the desire to receive a pension in their home country, and negative assessments of the economic situation in the country of origin.
Considering the information presented, it prompts us to question the effectiveness of these programs. Do they truly benefit both parties involved—the migrants and the host country? While migrants receive support in realizing their desire to return home, the host country also experiences a reduction in the number of individuals with irregular status and unemployment rates to some extent.
However, there is room for improvement. The Italian government should actively engage with Diaspora Associations to seek their input on enhancing these programs, which can be genuinely beneficial for those wishing to return home and rebuild their lives. Increase the economic aid to the returnees considering that most lived in Italy working their whole lives.
More importantly, Will Ghana sign such an Agreement, is there the need For Ghana to sign the Agreement?
Let us know your thoughts in the comment section.
For further information, you can contact the toll-free number: 800200072 (operators are available in English as well).
Hopefully Ghana government signs the Agreement too!