Country Specific Approaches to Reintegration Assistance, Counselling and Visibility in Belgium

The Country Specific Approaches towards a more sustainable reintegration project aims to develop an integrated approach towards reintegration within the Belgian Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme.

This will be done through initiatives which focus on enhancing sustainable socio-economic reintegration, and integrates provisions to respond to the psychosocial needs of returnees, together with a more family inclusive approach. Such initiatives prove to positively impact the overall sustainability of the reintegration process.  

Activities for returnees
The support will be provided on an individual and needs basis, according to locally available opportunities, and in a cumulative manner to the Belgian AVRR programme.

1. Provide tailored pre-departure reintegration counselling to all interested candidates;
2. Provide additional in-kind reintegration sustainability grants for income generating activities and project; 
3. Provide “Socio-Economic Orientation” group sessions in Iraq, with interventions from consultants or guest speakers, to tackle all aspects of reintegration barriers and how to remedy to them. The sessions welcome returnees from Belgium but also from other European countries (financed by other projects). During these sessions, returnees can share their experiences and coping strategies;
4. Facilitate Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), On-The-Job (OTJ) trainings and apprenticeship opportunities for returnees. Trainings can be foreseen in a number of different fields depending on the candidate’s interests;
5. Provide specific financial, entrepreneurship or microbusiness management training to returnees;
6. Facilitate and encourage recreational activities for children;
7. Networking events for returnees in the context of local celebrations as well as sports activities.

Activities in Belgium
A counselling capacity building tour in Belgium with outreach visits to Belgian reception centers and AVRR stakeholders will be organized by the end of 2020. This one-week event will be coordinated by IOM Brussels CO, together with Fedasil and will bring together the focal points from the priority countries.

A one-day IOM/Caritas event bringing together Caritas International’s local partners and IOM missions from the priority countries of both IOM and Caritas AMIF projects. The event will gather AVRR stakeholders in Belgium. The thematic focus will be in line with the activities implemented throughout this project.