During the week of 22 August, the Afghan refugees of different Fedasil centres and of a Red Cross centre were invited to meet with a representative from IOM Kabul (International Organisation for Migration). During this meeting, the residents received information on voluntary return to Afghanistan and possible reintegration projects in their country.

Overall, IOM visited nine reception centres. The Afghan asylum seekers were invited to attend an information session. The number of participants strongly varied per session: between 15 and 60 people were present, mostly single men. However, IOM was able to reach more people through individual meetings while visiting the centre.

Specific reintegration support

These visits took place in the context of a project financed by Fedasil and developed by IOM. The aim of this project is to expand the reintegration offer in Afghanistan.

Currently, a person voluntarily returning to Afghanistan can already launch a reintegration project. This can range from offering financial support for a professional activity to renovating a home or paying for medical expenses, etc.

Thanks to this project, a returning migrant may also request support for temporary accommodation after arrival, a full medical examination, transport to a different city and the support of a consultant for the development of a micro-business plan. This offer is available in the cities of Kabul, Jalalabad and Herat.

More information about this project

126 returning migrants in 2016

In 2016, 126 migrants have already voluntarily returned to Afghanistan (numbers January-July 2016). The majority received local reintegration support. In 2015 Fedasil registered 54 returning migrants to Afghanistan (35 of whom received reintegration support).