Asia and the Pacific

Return and reintegration can be at odds with the practice of mobility in Afghanistan. Return and reintegration is often built on a sedentary assumption, understood as a one-way process that leads to people being anchored (Natta, 2014) back in their homes. This...

In the context of assisting in the transition and recovery of conflict affected societies and communities, IOM has supported disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) programmes for ex-combatants/fighters and their communities of return, through...

This paper is part of the IOM Migration Research Leaders Syndicate’s contribution toward the Global Compact for Migration. It is one of 26 papers that make up a consolidated Syndicate publication, which focuses on proposing ways to address complex and pressing...

Despite considerable efforts by governments, civil society, and communities to prevent and reduce trafficking, the trade continues, and is reportedly worsening in some areas. Trafficked persons are often subject to abuse such as rape, torture, debt bondage...

Among the different stages of the migration process, return is the one which is least well understood. The motives guiding return cannot be easily categorized and are highly context dependent (Bastia, 2011). Scholars and policymakers have focused on...

This briefing explores whether assisted return migration programmes can have a positive impact on development in returnees’ countries of origin. It reviews the history of assisted return migration from Western European countries, and discusses the recent...

The return and reintegration of migrant workers back to their home countries marks the end of their migration cycle. While extensive work has been done on ensuring effective migration laws and policies, pre-departure training, and research on working...

The reintegration of voluntary returnees from Finland to their countries of origin has been moderately sustainable, according to a survey conducted by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Finland. While slightly more sustainable outcomes were...

The report draws on field research on Afghan returnees that the Co-Founder of Samuel Hall has carried out since 2008. Beyond examining current return trends to Afghanistan and the characteristics of those returning, chiefly from Europe, it considers the return...

Hundreds of thousands of documented and undocumented refugees returned to Afghanistan in 2016, joining more than one million internally displaced within the country. International agencies warn of a humanitarian crisis that would affect hundreds of thousands...

This report, prepared and conducted by Samuel Hall under the Mediterranean Sustainable Reintegration (MEASURE) Project, funded by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), outlines recommendations to support sustainable reintegration of migrants...

The relationship between migration and development is a key topic for research and policy. Earlier pessimistic perspectives focused on the threat to development of poorer countries through the loss of human resources. Recently, a more optimistic view has been...

The primary purpose of this handbook is to expand on project workers’ understanding of how to help trafficked children in schemes supported by members of the Terre des hommes International Federation (TdhIF) and their local partners. Ideally, the material will...

A study on "best practices in the field of the return of minors" was carried out by ECRE, in strategic partnership with Save the Children, on behalf of the European Commission. The study looked at legislation and practice regarding the return of children...

This paper studies migrants’ intentions to return to their origin country by making the distinction between permanent return, temporary return and participation in temporary return programmes. Using survey data from first generation migrants in the Netherlands...

This thesis takes a transnational and multidimensional approach in order to overcome the dichotomies, generalizations and empirical shortcomings that surround the understanding of return migration within the migration–development–peace-building nexus. It uses...

Governments in reception countries embrace (voluntary) assisted returns for several reasons. Such returns are seen as more humane, less costly and they spark less controversy than forced returns. For the rejected migrants themselves, voluntary assisted return...

This report assesses the impact on children of being returned from Europe to Afghanistan. Through interviews with individual children, their parents or guardians, and with governmental and non-governmental actors, it builds a picture of children’s material...

In 2015 the International Organization for Migration (IOM) identified almost 1,200 trafficked migrants working in slave-like conditions on fishing boats in East Indonesia. The IOM helped the migrants and offered to cover the cost of repatriation to their...

This report aims to provide an overview of return and circular migration flows currently occurring in Afghanistan. The objectives of this report are to: i. clarify the current types of return migration flows to Afghanistan; ii. provide information on these...