The voluntary return programme includes reintegration assistance into the home country. Reintegration helps to overcome problems which migrants may encounter on their return, whilst also enabling social workers to offer concrete solutions: development of a micro business, renovation or rental of housing, search for employment, medical costs, etc.

Reintegration partners

For the implementation of reintegration projects, Fedasil works with two organisations which benefit from a network of partners in different regions of the world: IOM (International Organization for Migration) and Caritas International. These two organisations contact their local partners or offices to ensure migrants’ reintegration under the best possible conditions. Also, local reintegration partners provide information: they bring together a maximum of information about the return region or city, assess the socio-economic situation and the different integration opportunities for migrants.

Reintegration allowances are not provided in cash to migrants but are given to local partners who make the necessary payments. These allowances must be used within twelve months after the return. During this one-year period, IOM's and Caritas’s partners monitor projects, thus enabling the writing of return stories.

Access to reintegration

Access to reintegration is dependent on the migrant’s status: his home country, administrative status and vulnerability. When applying for a voluntary return, the return advisor analyses the migrant’s personal situation and defines his reintegration opportunities.

Reintegration assistance involves material assistance provided by local partners. This comprises several levels:

• The basic level of material assistance is accessible to migrants coming from countries which require a visa for Belgium and provided that they have ever filed an application for international protection, regardless of whether they have been turned down or not.
• To this may be added a complementary assistance accessible to applicants for international protection during their procedure or during the 30-day period following the order to leave the territory.
• In parallel, there is also a reintegration assistance accessible to people fulfilling the vulnerability criteria. For example, people taken into account include pregnant women, people with health problems, victims of slavery, families with children, etc.