An International Educational Workshop on Reintegration Assistance was held in Athens
Athens, 25/04/2018
Press Release
On Tuesday, April 24th 2018 an International Educational Workshop on Reintegration Assistance was held in IOM premises in Athens, under the framework of the project «The implementation of assisted voluntary returns including reintegration measures» (AVRR).
23 IOM representatives participated in the Educational Workshop, from the IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area (EEA), the EU and NATO (RO Brussels), IOM Greece, IOM offices in the main countries of origin, Pakistan, Georgia, Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon, where reintegration plans are being implemented as well as from European IOM offices with long experience in reintegration assistance, such as Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Norway, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Budapest, Serbia and FYROM. During the workshop, the participants highlighted the objectives achieved in the field of reintegration up to date, examined best practices for implementing the programme for the benefit of the beneficiaries and exchanged information on the procedures and the benefits of reintegration assistance.
«Today’ discussions will contribute to enabling us all to better develop coming reintegration support actions. », remarked Laurence Hunzinger, Senior Regional Migrant Assistance Specialist (AVRR) from RO Brussels.
Present at the event were the General Secretary of Coordination of Ministry of Interior, Tzanetos Filippakos, who said that return and reintegration policies are more effective when linked with protection of migrants’ rights and development opportunities in their countries of origin. Furthermore, representatives of the Ministry of Finance and Development and executives of the European Development Programs Division (E.D.P.D.) of the Ministry of Interior were present at the Workshop, as well.
The main considerations for selecting candidates to be approved for reintegration support are a person’s vulnerability, work experience, and skills that can guarantee the sustainability of the reintegration plan. Consequently, IOM’s qualified staff, working with cultural mediators, conducted 4,573 individual counselling sessions with voluntary returnees, 2,486 of whom were eligible for reintegration assistance. From the beginning of the current program (June 1st, 2016) until the end of March 2018, 10,242 third country nationals have returned from Greece to their country of origin, 2,458 have received personalized reintegration plans and 623 have received reintegration assistance in the form of financial aid. The vast majority of migrants who returned home voluntarily from Greece and have successfully implemented personalized reintegration plans in their home countries, originate from Pakistan, Georgia, Iraq, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
The reintegration assistance is for the IOM worldwide, the quintessence of voluntary return and reintegration programmes, since with that provision, the returnees have the opportunity to reintegrate into their own society and gain sustainability both for themselves and their families.
The project is co-funded 75% by European Funds (Asylum Migration and Integration Fund) and 25% by National Funds.
For more information please contact the Public Information Office in IOM Greece
Tel: +30 210 991 9040 ext.: 248, 166, 137, Email: iomathensmedia@iom.int
For more information on Reintegration assistance please contact the Reintegration Unit of IOM Greece
Tel: +30 210 991 9040 ext.: 154, Email: zvanikioti@iom.int