Migrant Assistance in «Europe» Dejan Keserovic 13 June 2012

1. The Migration Context 2. IOM’s Capacities IOM’s activities/best practices 3. Opportunities 4. Challenges 5. Regional objectives and strategic areas of Intervention Regional Overview

The Migration Context  The need for assisted return projects has grown stronger in response to the diversification of beneficiaries (increasing number of irregular migrations/countries of returns/vulnerable migrants/mixed migration phenomenon in the MENA region).  IOM has been carrying out AVRR programmes for nearly three decades, and now implements some 40 regular programmes with the EU MSs, Switzerland and Norway.  Within the context of the EU, the challenge for the EU MS, the international organisations and other stakeholders in AVRR is to further develop projects that can address the issue of return migration not only from national perspectives but also from a multilateral and EU perspective

The Migration Context-Diversification of return programmes In response to the continuous changing migration patterns, programmes have diversified. Reintegration strategies targeting specific countries of return and specific vulnerable groups are also gaining importance.  children (especially unaccompanied minors and other vulnerable migrants) has featured prominently in the last few calls with the commission  Mixed migration which is very much linked to the EU and requires a versatile response tailored to the individual needs of migrants.  The encouragement of EU Member States to learn from each other, to organize study visits as well as nurture multilateral common projects within the EU has also increased.

IOM’s Capacities  During the last 10 years alone, we have assisted 400,000 migrants to return to their countries of origin in contexts other than humanitarian crisis derived from conflict or natural disasters.  In 2011, IOM operated 61 AVRR projects in 26 EU Member States, including Norway and Switzerland.  In 2011, IOM assisted 25,520 migrants to return voluntarily from the EU Member States, Norway and Switzerland

Opportunities  The CoE region being the geographical area with the largest number of voluntary return project means that the region is of key importance with regards to synergies and multilateral approaches in the field of voluntary return and reintegration  It is important to stress the need for and benefits of continuous cooperation amongst EU MS. Such efforts need to include political and technical cooperation, information exchanges, systematic data collection, collaboration with and among international and other organizations, and a notion of shared responsibility.

Challenges- Regional Strategy-Countries in Focus  The changing dimension of AVRR in the CoE member states calls for a comprehensive but differentiated system that allows for nuanced responses to a diversity of protection and humanitarian needs.  It is important to stress the need for and benefits of continuous cooperation amongst CoE MS. Such efforts need to include political and technical cooperation, information exchanges, systematic data collection, collaboration with and among international and other organizations, and a notion of shared responsibility.  There are more and more ‘actors’ that are engaged in return related activities and it is imperative that partnerships between all invlove agencies archived.

Thank You !