2004
The purpose of this project was to involve refugees and their communities in the field of voluntary return. Through information seminars focusing on five Member States' policies and practices of voluntary return, and consultation with refugees on their views of what constitutes good practice in voluntary return, it was our intention to develop methods, tools and processes that better enable refugees to return in safety and dignity. The project aimed to: - compile information on voluntary return programmes - scope, target groups, and operational arrangements in five Member States
- deliver information sessions on current voluntary return policies and practices in five Member States, including the role played by NGOs, and international organisations such as IOM and UNHCR
- deliver training seminars on EU developments in the field of return
- engage refugee communities in the debate on what constitutes good practice in voluntary return through consultative seminars; seek refugee views on the necessary political, social, and economic conditions that must be fulfilled in the country of origin for return to be successful
- conduct fact finding missions to countries of origin; explore what role refugee communities in Europe can play in monitoring the situation for returnees; gather case studies on returnees from certain refugee communities
- investigate what activities refugee communities could do in the country of asylum to prepare returnees with information, training, and employment support in order to facilitate voluntary return
- carry out wider capacity building activities with refugee communities to enable them to play a more active part in the European asylum debate - link discussions on voluntary return to debates on asylum procedures, and citizenship & long-term resident rights
- produce a web-based Handbook on Voluntary Return with examples of good practice
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