By Martin Wyss.
The number of migrants opting for voluntary departure from the Netherlands to their countries of origin with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is growing.
Under the IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme from the Netherlands, 538 migrants were assisted in the month of June, compared to 429 migrants assisted in May. In the first half of the year, over 2,500 migrants departed under the same programme, or a 100 percent increase compared to the first six months of 2015, when 1,288 departed voluntarily from the Netherlands with IOM assistance. The main countries of origin for the period January-June 2016 were Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, Mongolia, Serbia and Ukraine.
Voluntary return is a core activity of IOM in the Netherlands. Through the Assisted voluntary Return Programme (AVRR), IOM offers vital assistance to migrants who decide to leave voluntarily from the Netherlands to return to their country of origin. To be able to provide the needed assistance to migrants before, during and after their journey, IOM Netherlands works closely with partners in the Netherlands and with the worldwide network of IOM offices in over 100 countries.
Globally, in 2015 IOM assisted close to 70,000 migrants worldwide under the IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programmes. This was the largest number of voluntary returns registered in the past decades. The current migration trends seem to indicate that returns could increase in the years to come – not only in the number of migrants in need of assistance, but also in the complexity of the process. IOM emphasizes the importance of voluntary return policies that must guarantee the dignity and well-being of migrants, as well as offer practical reintegration support to returning migrants.
About IOM
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is the global lead agency on migration and works closely with governments, NGOs and intergovernmental partners. With 165 member states and more than 9,000 staff members IOM is dedicated to promoting human and orderly migration for the benefit of all.
IOM NL AVRR statistics and information http://www.iom-nederland.nl/nl/vrijwillig-vertrek/cijfers-vrijwillige-terugkeer.
IOM Global AVRR statistics and information http://www.iom.int/sites/default/files/our_work/DMM/AVRR/AVRR_2015_Key_Highlights.pdf
About the author: Martin Wyss is IOM International Organization for Migration’s Chief of Mission in the Netherlands.
For more information: contact Martin Wyss at mwyss@iom.int
