 |
European Reintegration Networking |
|
|
|
||
|
European Reintegration Networking |
|
|
|
||
September 2002
Netherland’s Migration
Institute
Postbus 19215
NL-3501 DE Utrecht
Tel: 0031-30-2342936
Fax: 0031-30-2304932
nmi@nmigratie.nl
www.nmigratie.nl
Verfasser/in: Alice Odé
CHAPTER 1: MIGRANTS IN THE NETHERLANDS
CHAPTER 2: PROTAGONISTS IN THE MIGRATION SECTOR – IMPLEMENTATION AND EXECUTION
CHAPTER 3: PROGRAMMES TO PROMOTE RETURN
CHAPTER 4: PROGRAMMES AFFECTING THE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN
CHAPTER 5:BEST PRACTICE MODELS
In the year 2001 a quarter of all migrants in the Netherlands were asylum seekers. In the same year 8% of the asylum seekers in Europe sought asylum in the Netherlands. Considering the total number of asylum seekers, the Netherlands is the fourth biggest receiving country within the European Union (after Germany, United Kingdom and France).
The asylum seekers are accommodated in asylum seekers centres. The total number of asylum seekers in these centres today is 82.436 of who 7.960 has a residence permit.
22.914 asylum seekers reside more than three year in an asylum seekers centre.
In April 2001 a new Aliens Law came into force. This law in particular intends to shorten the asylum procedure by cutting of the rights to appeal. The effect of the introduction of the new law was a decrease of the flow of asylum seekers: 44.000 in 2000 to 33.000 in 2001. For 2002 an influx of 30.000 asylum seeker is projected.
The flow of juvenile asylum seekers in the Netherlands is, compared to other European countries, very high. In 2001 each week approximately 140 minors seeking asylum entered the country. The majority was from China and Angola. Until now the return policy of those children is quite caring but it is to expect that the new government will change this.
Various estimates of the total number of illegal foreigners conclude that nowadays in between 60.000 to 100.000 persons illegally reside in the Netherlands. Given the fact that many more asylum seekers are rejected but not expelled, one may conclude that the number of illegal foreigners is increasing rapidly. Most of the illegal foreigners are employed in the agriculture, building industry and catering industry.
In the Netherlands reside around legally recognised 200.000 refugees. The origins of the main communities of refugees are: Former Yugoslavia (71.000), Iraq (38.000), Somalia (30.000), Afghanistan (26.000) and Iran (25.000) . The number of refugees coming from Asia has increased rapidly over the last 5 years.
The majority of the refugees are highly educated and young. Despite this fact, only 35% has found employment in the Netherlands.
According to the official criteria of the Dutch government, there exist 17 separate ethnic minorities. These minorities are subject to an official minority policy. The most important ones (referring to numbers) are the immigrants from Turkey (320.000), Surinam (309.000), Morocco (273.000) and the Netherlands Antilles (117.000).
The economic crisis in these countries of origin interfere with the re-migration, especially amongst younger members of these ethnic minorities. Contrary, younger members of the ethnic minorities marry young girls and boys from Turkey and Morocco to start together to live in the Netherlands. Family unification and formation adds up to 18% of the influx of foreign immigrants, which outnumbers the flow of refugees.
Around 15.000 migrants received a (temporarily) working permit in 2001. In the rural sector many migrants from Poland and Hungary are employed within the framework of these permits. In addition a growing number of highly educated labour immigrants are allowed to work in the Netherlands on a temporary basis. For example from the Philippines, South Africa and India personnel came to Holland to work in the ICT and health care sector. Highly skilled migrants add up to about one third of the total number of labour immigrants.
Many migrants intend to stay for a long time, sometimes for most of their life, only to return after retirement. The risk of loosing residence rights may lead migrants to postpone or even to abandon a permanent return. Several investigations among migrants conclude that around 15% of the migrant population definitely wants to return to their home country. Another 20% likes to return but is not sure if he or she can realise it. For the younger migrants, in particular the lack of economic perspectives in the home country keeps them from returning to their home country. The growing number of particularly younger migrants returning to Spain and Italy can partly be explained by the positive economic perspectives in these countries.
An investigation of return migration to Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Turkey, of the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute demonstrates that returnees are by no means only older people at the age of retirement. The current age for returnees is roughly between 40 and 50 years. Therefore, many returnees will still be economically active after returning to their country of origin. Only in Morocco and Turkey around one third reported to be retired. The economically active returnees are very likely to work as an employer compared to the native labour force. Returnees are less often found to be self employed or working for wages. These findings may reflect a greater success of returnees in setting up businesses and employing personnel.
For a clear analysis of the process of return migration, the NMI distinguishes three concepts, namely: forced, ordered and voluntary return.
In recent years return migration has proved to be very problematic. In spite of efforts of the Dutch government to focus on the repatriation of rejected asylum seekers, the actual number of forced extraditions has remained limited. In 2000 a little over two thousand people were deported in the company of the military police, three thousand were accompanied to the border and 16.000 rejected asylum seekers were asked to leave the country on their own resources.
An asylum seeker who has effectively exhausted all procedural channels must leave the Netherlands and loses his or her place in the reception system. The rejected asylum seeker is responsible for the departure. The Dutch refugee council and other social organisations criticises the fact that the Dutch authorities held the asylum seeker accountable meanwhile many countries of origin do not co-operate at all in providing documents.
Presently in the Netherlands the forced repatriation overshadows the public debate about return. Like in other European countries, the Dutch government struggles with a growing number of rejected asylum seekers and other illegal foreigners, who for technical and other reasons are difficult to expel from our country. The present government, in power since June 2002, agreed on the foundation of a special organisation, which will realise the forced return of illegal persons.
Officially about 80% of the asylum seekers requests are rejected. Due to abbreviated procedure after the new Aliens Act came into force, a growing number of asylum seekers are ordered to leave the country. In case the final decision of the Immigratie and Naturalisatie Dienst (IND) is negative, the asylum seekers receives a letter in which he or she is ordered to leave the country on his or her own responsibility within 28 days. The ministry of Justice is responsible for the execution of ordered return.
Several organisations implement programmes to support the return of asylum seekers who have to leave the Netherlands. The main organisations in this field are Central Body for Asylum Seekers Accommodation (COA) and the International Organisation for Migration in the Netherlands. COA is an independent administrative organ of the ministry of Justice and is responsible for the reception of the asylum seekers. Officials in charge of COA inform the asylum seeker directly after his arrival about the chances of a negative response on their asylum request and the consequences. In case of a rejection, COA has to stop the relief after 28 days and the asylum seeker is expelled from the centre. COA realises special training programmes aimed at learning skills valuable in the country of origin.
The target groups of IOM Netherlands consists mainly of asylum seekers and illegal residents who want to repatriate. IOM provides the applicant with an airline ticket and an allowance to cover the expenses of the first weeks after departure. For the programmes of IOM Netherlands, we refer to Chapter 3. In 2001 IOM Netherlands assisted 1407 persons who returned to their home country. Amongst them the largest groups went back to: Slovakia (317), Iran (185), Yugoslavia (122) and Bosnia (111).
On the first of April 2000, the Repatriation Act entered into force. The Act is an improvement compared to the former regulations on repatriation as it broadens the opportunities for migrants (including refugees) who want to return to their home country and refugees who are currently in the Netherlands with a residency status and who wish to settle in another country. The improvements introduced by the Repatriation Act were inspired both by changing social trends (such as individualisation) and by recent experience of repatriation schemes. To meet changing wishes and needs, grass root migrants organisations, unions and social organisations had put pressure on the implementation of the Repatriation Act and the ratification was considered as a achievement of the migrants social movement. In financial terms the costs benefit analysis of the re-migration remittances, which replace other social security allowances, should be neutral.
Policy on repatriation focuses on individuals who wish to resettle in their countries of origin, but do not have the financial means to do so. More specifically the Repatriation Act’s target groups are persons from ethnic minorities who are subjected to the formal integration policy coming from: former Yugoslavia, Cape Verde, Morocco, Surinam, Tunisia, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain or the Molluscs. The (officially recognised) refugees and persons who have been granted asylum also qualify for assistance under the Repatriation Act. These refugees can benefit from the facilities in case they resettle in another country. The target group includes only first and second-generation migrants.
Antilleans and Arabians having the Dutch nationality do not form part of the target group.
The Repatriation Act offers two facilities: the basic provision and the repatriation provision.
The basic provision consists of a once-only allowance for the travelling expenses and transport of luggage to and within the country of destination. Furthermore they receive a benefit for the costs of living during the first two months of resettlement (twice the amount of the monthly 45+ benefit).
The remigration provision consists of:
The 45+ benefit: this is a monthly allowance dependent upon the composition of the family and the standard of living in the country of destination.
The visa procedure for returnees wishing to visit the Netherlands for a short stay has been made more flexible;
The ministry of the Interior and Overseas Kingdom Relations was responsible for the execution of the Repatriation Act. Recently, the government has transferred this task to the ministry of Justice.
The Netherlands Migration Institute’s task is to provide information to the individuals and groups that make up the target groups. Thirteen counsellors with different cultural background assist the migrants to make a well-considered choice, to refer them to other bodies, to help both in completing the necessary forms and in dealing with the other administrative issues directly related to repatriation. In 2001 10.824 persons originating from more than 100 countries of origin approached the NMI to ask for information about repatriation or resettling. About one quarter of these migrants actually asked the assistance of a counsellor to figure out the possibilities and consequences of a return. The majority (80%) belongs to ethnic minorities. Also refugees and asylum seekers looked for possibilities to return. Among these the largest group came from Bosnia, followed by a much smaller number of persons coming from Iraq, Iran, Chile, Vietnam, Somalia and Afghanistan.
The Social Insurance Bank (SVB) evaluates the applications and transfers payments abroad. According to the figures, 1.095 persons actually returned in 2001 to their home country or resettled in another country within the framework of the Repatriation Act. More migrants applied for the provisions but due to various reasons, like a tax debt, these applications were not approved. The main destinations were: Turkey, Morocco and Bosnia Herzegovina.
The Repatriation Act shall be evaluated in 2003. The results of this research shall provide the politicians with the required data to reach a decision about the continuation of the Repatriation Act in 2004.
Apart from the Repatriation Act, there are a few allowances, like the elderly pension and the disability insurance, which can be remitted in the home country. In particular Moroccan and Turkish migrants receive these allowances in their country of origin. In Morocco 8.500 and in Turkey 13.000 returnees receive elderly allowances from the Dutch government.
Due to a new Act: “Wet Beperking Export Uitkeringen” implemented in 2000, the possibilities to receive allowances from the government abroad are limited. This act prescribes amongst others that for the disability allowance an agreement is required between the government of the receiving country and the Netherlands on controlling the remittance of the payment. The process of negotiation about the stipulations of the bilateral agreements with many countries continues and is not yet completed.
The ministry of Justice is in charge of the forced and ordered return. At the moment the responsibility for the volunteer return, more specifically the Repatriation Act, is transferred from the ministry of Interior Affairs and Overseas Kingdom Relations to the ministry of Justice.
Protestant and Catholic churches regularly offer help to migrants who want to return. Church groups founded quite a few organisations, dedicated to assist return migration. Chapter three refers to some of the initiatives and their relation with the church.
For many asylum seekers the Dutch Council of Refugees is an important point of support. Organised in about 660 local groups they offer individual juridical and social assistance to the asylum seeker. In case the asylum seeker wants to repatriate, the local council of refugees refers them to the appropriate organisations. For migrants without a residence permit, IOM Netherlands is the main organisation of support.
The NMI offers information and counselling to migrants and refugees with a residence permit who wish to re-migrate or resettle. The Social insurance bank (SVB) is responsible for the payment of the allowances of the Repatriation Act.
NGO’s working in development work are getting more and more interested in migrants, in particular asylum seekers and refugees. The Catholic NGO’s CORDAID and CMC raised a special project for ordered return (see chapter 3.2).
To expel illegal residents from the Netherlands, the police follow a special procedure. To avoid irregularities the police charters special flights to expel a group of illegal residents. Some of these illegals are kept in confinement in a prison “Willem II”. In this prison illegal residents who are waiting for their deportation, are offered vocational training. In addition they establish relationships with trans-national companies which have their head office in Holland and apply for vacancies in migrant sending countries.
The involuntary return programmes focus on migrants without a residence permit,
who have to leave the Netherlands and arrange their return or resettlement themselves. IOM Netherlands offers various assistance programmes for all persons who have to leave our country. Also COA realises several projects mostly focussing on vocational training. In addition there are a few small-scale initiatives to help illegal residents to return.
REAN stands for Return and Emigration of Aliens from the
Netherlands. IOM provides a contribution for travel expenses and
the initial period back in the country of origin in case of
voluntary return. The assistance applies to aliens who are not
permitted to remain in the Netherlands on the basis of the Aliens
Act or still have applications pending but who wish to return to
their country of origin and meet the requirements set out
below.
IOM Nederland acts as a mediator in the independent return of
aliens and provides the Return Arrangement. Under this arrangement
the alien is provided with an airline ticket back to the country of
origin. It also includes a financial contribution towards the
living costs for the first period after the departure from the
Netherlands. The size of this contribution depends on
circumstances. Applicants who have already been granted some form
of residence permit (e.g. on grounds of being accepted as a
refugee, on humanitarian grounds, or as victim of women
trafficking) will receive higher rates than persons whose
application for asylum has been rejected.
A person is able to return with REAN assistance if he/she meets the following conditions:
In 2001 1407 asylum seekers or illegal residents returned to their home country. The main group returned to Slovakia (317), Iran (185), Yugoslavia (122), Bosnia (111) and the Russian Federation (71).
REAN-plus
IOM is currently conducting two REAN-plus programmes. These programmes are targeted to persons returning to: Iraq, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Bulgaria and Romania. The REAN reintegration financial allowance is granted in addition to the normal REAN contribution. The amount the applicant is entitled to receive is 500 Euro for an adult and 250 Euro for minors.
In 2001 14 persons went back to Iraq, 54 to Czech Republic, 317 to Slovakia, 6 to Bulgaria and 11 to Romania.
In connection with voluntary departure from the Netherlands the REAN programme can be called on not only in cases of a return to the country of origin but also when it comes to departure to another land where resettlement may be possible.
In 2001 363 persons resettled benefiting the facilities offered by IOM Netherlands. The biggest group consists of Bosnians (145) Iran’s (120) who went to the United States.
In November 2001 IOM began the Educated Return project, which is partly funded by the European Refugee Fund (ERF).
Asylum seekers can prepare themselves for their reintegration into the society and job market of the country of origin by attending a short vocational course in the Netherlands while their asylum procedure is going on. If they are allowed to stay in the Netherlands, the education will be a useful introduction into the Dutch labour market. If they do not obtain a residence permit and decide to return, the education will lend extra support for a new start in the country of destination. Schools throughout the country that co-operate closely with COA and other partners make these ‘two-track courses’ available.
The Dutch Catholic development organisation Cordaid entered into an alliance with IOM Netherlands to found an intermediary office for asylum seekers who want to go back to the country of origin. The intermediary office for return dispels individual obstacles for return and reintegration calling in the help of NGO’s in the home country which take part of the network of Cordaid or a local office of IOM international. In this way Maatwerk bij Terugkeer introduces an interesting link between the generally separated network of organisations working in the field of development and migration.
The intermediary office aims to mediate 250 asylum seekers per year. Until the month of September 2002 130 asylum seekers asked for assistance and 20 persons had been returned with the help of the intermediary office. Among these potential returnees a large group originates form Kosovo and Bosnia Herzegovina. A growing number of young independent asylum seekers, in particular form Angola and China, approaches the intermediary office to explore the return to their home country.
On this moment Cordaid performs a short-term evaluation. The office received financing of the European Refugee Fund and started in 2002.
The project “Surfing to the future” is designed by the foundation Wereldhuis in co-operation with the local churches in the city of Den Bosch. The aim of this project is to develop a method to assist asylum seekers or illegal residents without a residence permit in returning to their home country or resettle elsewhere. The returnees are made familiar with modern communication and information technology, which is used amongst other things to make contact with the home country and to collect information about it. Presently fifty asylum seekers are counselled from which 12 will receive additional training and working experience. The project started in 2001 and is financed for three years by Start Foundation and the provincial authorities.
In the last years several initiatives of local educational institutes who offered asylum seekers vocational training have been changed into training centers where asylum seekers learn skills and acquire know how to increase their job opportunities in the home country. Two institutes, Asielzoekers Opleidings Centrum in Rotterdam and Wereldwijd in Eckelrade, in particular have been successful in teaching asylum seekers. The students receive an internationally recognized certificate and handbooks to apply their knowledge in the country of destination.
The ministry of Justice has started this summer a new programme for independent minor Asylum Seekers, facing a possible negative outcome of their asylum application. The programme is a one-year experiment for 360 persons and provides several courses for youngsters to motivate them to go back to their country with some education.
After the Dayton Accord in December 1996 established the end of war in Bosnia, it was recognised that the destruction of their homes possessions was preventing people from returning home. The ‘Fund to Assist the Re-installation of Refugees from the Netherlands to Bosnia Herzegovina’
(In short; Bosnia Reintegration Fund) launched into action on
January 1998. It is financed by the ministry of Foreign Affairs and
provides a one-off financial contribution of € 2.268 for
returning Bosnians who were residing in the Netherlands before 1
June 1997. The payment is intended for repair of the house.
Applicants who were able to demonstrate that they were able to
resettle in Bosnia-Herzegovina (by providing a sales contract for a
house, for instance) and who depart with their entire family are
eligible to receive a contribution from the fund.
The fund has been set up for a limited number of families. During
the first phase 93 families received payment, as did 60 families
during the second phase and 50 families during the third phase. The
last phase took place during 2001. In view of the continuous
interest in returning, especially from older people, a request has
been made to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make a fourth phase
possible to assist another 40 families.
The NMI provides the applicants with information and helps to fill
in the application form.
IOM Netherlands manages the Bosnia reintegration fund in close co-operation with the IOM Bosnia in Sarajevo.
On the 27th of October 2001 a resettlers project for the Dutch Antilles came into force. It offers a financial allowance to pay travelling expenses and the transport costs of luggage to the Dutch Antilles for persons who found a job there. The Social Insurance Bank will verify the job offer. The NMN is made responsible for the information and assist with filling in the application forms.
Until June 2002 there were 206 applications, 77 were rejected and 48 got a positive decision. The other applications are waiting for a decision.
IntEnt stands for the Internationalisation of Entrepreneurship and aims to help migrant entrepreneurs in the Netherlands seeking to set up a new business in their country of origin.
The IntEnt foundation operates from the Netherlands and offers assistance to migrant entrepreneurs in creating joint ventures and new businesses in their country of origin.
Intent offers two different programmes. The starters programme aims at entrepreneurs seeking to start up their own business in the country of origin. Participants in this programme are offered an extensive package of assistance, varying from the development of entrepreneurial skills and business advice in the Netherlands to local business orientation in the country of origin. In addition, IntEnt helps to negotiate loans with financial institutions, gives guarantees and provides assistance and guidance during the implementation phase in the country of origin.
The target group of this programme concerned migrants from: Ghana, Morocco, Surinam and Turkey.
According to the figures presented on the website of Intent, 66 entrepreneurs started their business of which 18 with the financial help of Intent. According to the country of origin the total number of entrepreneurs are divided as follows: Ghana 25 starters, (6 with the financial help of Intent); Surinam 33 starters, (8 with financial help of Intent); Turkey 4 starters, (2 with financial help of Intent); Morocco 4 starters, (2 with financial help of Intent).
The Intent programme has been evaluated and the results will be released at 15 September 2002.
To stimulate the reconstruction of Afghanistan, IOM has initiated the Return of Qualified Afghans (RQA) program. The programme aims the placement of expatriate Afghan professionals in key positions in sectors like government services, the building industry, the public health and education. The programme will direct particular attention towards the recruitment of qualified women who are active in those sectors that are vital to the reconstruction, modernisation and development of Afghanistan.
A database forms part of the RQA programme. This database can be found on the Internet (www.iom-rqa.org) and is intended for both highly qualified nationals and for employers who have vacancies in Afghanistan and want to recruit personnel from abroad. Interested nationals and employers can put their details into the database on-line. The local IOM office in Afghanistan is monitoring the RQA programme.
At the moment the Afghan population in the Netherlands is only moderately interested in this job placement programme. Twenty-eight Afghans have asked for more information and one Afghan has actually returned benefiting form this RQA programme.
The council of churches in the Netherlands founded the organisation Stichting Steun Remigraten (SSR), which means: Foundation of Support to Returnees in 1989 in order to assist the returnees in their country of origin in close co-operation with the archbishop of Rabat. A base in Berkane, in the north of Morocco were founded. Many Moroccan migrants returned from the Netherlands to this region. Two social-juridical counsellors manage the office and support the returnees. In 2001 2694 visitors asked for assistance in particular, concerning the payment of allowances from the Dutch government, tax policy and divorce.
Besides individual assistance, SSR supported several development NGO’s and women’s organisations in this region and attempted to establish a regional network of NGO’s working in the field of development. At the same time they encourage returnees to organise or take part in social and educational activities of local NGO’s. The local grass root organisation of returnees, El Fath, is supported by SSR.
This European Centre for Migration and Development (EMCEMO) aims to contribute to the economic, social, political and cultural development of the countries south and east of the Mediterranean see. Another objective is the co-operation between Euro-Mediterranean NGO’s and grass root organisations of migrants. In practice they concentrate on Morocco and Moroccan migrants who live in the Netherlands. EMCEMO performs different projects in Morocco for example a housing project where young Moroccan migrants, living in the Amsterdam, help to construct houses for the poor in the city of Larache.
EMCEMO also helps returnees to reintegrate in the Moroccan society. Many returnees face difficulties because of the changes in the Dutch social security system. EMCEMO organises consultancy hours in the multimedia centres they have set up in five cities in the north of Morocco. In 2001 they kept record of 350 files of returnees.
“Migration for development in Africa” is an institutional capacity building programme in Africa. The main objective is the transfer of vital skills and resources of the African Diaspora to support the development of their countries of origin. The programme is based on the notion of mobility of people and resources and does not necessarily mean the systematic return of migrants. MIDA is developed by IOM international. Presently IOM Netherlands explores the possibilities to start a MIDA project for Ghana conferring Ghana’s authorities and representatives of Ghana’s organisations in the Netherlands.
Generally the tendency to return migration is limited. Notwithstanding peace agreements and declarations of international organisations migrants generally choose to stay in the Netherlands. In 2001 1100, respectively 1407 migrants benefited from the two main facilities, provided by the Repatriation Act (mainly for labor migrants and refugees) and the REAN project (directed to asylum seekers and illegal residents).
In spite of the fact that the number of people benefiting from these provisions is lower than expected, the models and methods used contain valuable elements. The coming year research institutes are going to evaluate the practice of voluntary and ordered return migration.
In advance of the results of the evaluation of the Repatriation Act, one can conclude that the migrants consider the repatriation allowance to be moderate. Nevertheless they appreciate the opportunity for elderly and unemployed migrants to return to their home country. The migrants’ movement promotes the extension of the target group of the Repatriation Act to all migrants, including persons who do not belong to one of the official ethnic minorities; neither have a refugee status (like many people for the Philippines, China and Latin America).
The one-year option for return is considered as very valuable. It is easier to decide to re-migrate when there is an opportunity to reconsider this decision. In practice very little returnees make use of this option to return to the Netherlands. Also the flexible visa procedure makes it easier for parents to live separately from their adult children.
Other additional projects to facilitate return, such as the intermediary office for asylum seekers, education for return, Return of Qualified Afghans, Intent and Surfing to the Future score varying success. Most of these projects operate only recently and have assisted a limited group of migrants. Although it is too early to evaluate the achievements of these initiatives, the models and methods seem promising.
The group which showed most interest in facilitated return originated from former Yugoslavia. These return migrants are highly represented in both ordered and voluntary return. The extension of the reintegration fund for Bosnian migrants and the recent application of 40 new families for this housing subvention also expresses the interest for return. The domination of migrants from the Balkan can only partly be explained by the large number of refugees and asylum seekers from former Yugoslavia living in the Netherlands. Other elements like nearness and economic perspectives of the region seem to play an important role in the decision making process.
A well considered policy for repatriation has to meet different motives of return facilitating arrangements and additional projects for different target groups. At the same time this set of facilities should be geared to one another in order to form a consistent body. Only then re-migration is not merely overshadowed by negative connotations but may be considered as a positive dynamic process.
The following arrangements and projects could be part of an integrative set of facilities for re-migration:
For all the facilitated return projects it is crucial to offer the migrants objective information. In case the migrants consider the projects as an instrument to expel them from the Netherlands, they will not benefit from them. Because of their social position in the receiving country, migrants are very suspicious towards the issue of return. Additional to the information, the returnee needs counselling to make a well-considered decision and organize the paperwork for his or her departure.
The present political context demands a well-considered return migration policy, which should go beyond forced return. Voluntary return is still a rather undeveloped political area. Nowadays most European governments focus on temporarily immigration to solve the short-term problems on the national labour market. This immigration policy however should include a return policy, which takes account of the economic and social prospects in the country of origin.
For various reasons, described in the former chapters an integrative approach of return requires cooperation on a national and European level. A close cooperation and exchange of experiences between organisations working in the field of return on European level is very beneficial for the quality of the projects and the concept of re-migration as a whole.
At the same time a good relationship between the government and non-governmental organisations of migrants sending and receiving countries should be developed.
For the elderly, unemployed migrants, possessing a residence permit, the NMI advocates the implementation of a Repatriation Act on a European Level. The experience in the Netherlands shows that for this particular group, the provisions offered by the Repatriation Act are the only possibility to return to their home country.
Conclusively, the challenge for European countries is to launch an integrative set of programmes and regulations mentioned above for voluntary and involuntary return, which opens up new perspectives for the returnee in his or her home country
Oriëntatie op de Remigratiewet, nov. 2000, ITS, H. van den Tillaard
Monitor Welzijn, Zorg en Wonen, november 2001, mutiple Choice, F. Fernandéz
Return Migration: profiles of returnees in Egypt, Ghana, Morocco and Turkey, nov. 2001, J. Schoorl
The Dutch Repatriation Act distinguishes five categories. Each country is categorized according to the local price level of the basic goods. For example the United States is classified as most expensive country and the monthly allowance for an individual is fixed at 500 Euro. Afghanistan is considered as very cheap and the allowance for an individual is fixed at 310 Euro.
| website sponsored by:
European Union, Church of Sweden Aid, Uppsala, Zentralstelle für Arbeitsvermittlung (ZAV), Frankfurt/M. |
| website administered by: AGEF gGmbH, Berlin, info@agef.de , www.reintegration.net, www.agef.net |