Fedasil and the OFII (Office français de l’Immigration et de l’Intégration) organised an exchange to share their expertise on voluntary return. The main focus was on the return counselling and the interviews with asylum seekers and irregular migrants.

At the end of September, three Belgian return counsellors went to France, while four French return officials came to Belgium at the beginning of October.

The Belgian model as an inspiration

The participants of the exchange were introduced to the differences in the functioning of the two countries. Guillaume, return counsellor of Fedasil: “The officials of the OFII operate very differently. They depend more on the state, and have less flexibility. In contrast to us, there is also little communication between the offices.”

Isabelle, return official of the OFII in Marseille, confirms this: “As the OFII is outside of the reception structures and networks of migrants, we experience a lot of mistrust from the social workers and migrants. Voluntary return is regarded as a last resort.”

Guy, team leader in Bobigny, a Parisian suburb, says: “At Fedasil it's the counsellors – and not the state officials – who inform the asylum seekers. That makes a real difference. They are also social workers, so there's already a relationship of trust. What we came for in Belgium, are tools to improve our conversations and to adjust the image of voluntary return.”

Régis, return counsellor of Fedasil, noted another important difference: “The OFII is present in other countries. Therefore they can organize the voluntary return and reintegration from A to Z in 21 different countries. They have a lot of experience in reintegration, while in Belgium we rely on the organisations IOM and Caritas.”

Towards a new exchange?

Both the Belgian and French participants found the exchange a very positive experience. The OFII and Fedasil are now considering the possibilities of organising a new exchange with different participants.