Return Migration in Austria is the contribution of the National Contact Point (NCP) Austria to the third European Pilot Study o­n Return Migration in the EU Member States, which is compiled by the European Migration Network (EMN). Besides the Austrian NCP, country studies will be compiled by the NCPs of Belgium, Germany, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden and United Kingdom. Based o­n these country reports, the Scientific Coordinator of the EMN will compile a Synthesis Report, which will summarise the main results.

The study “Return Migration in Austria” deals o­n the o­ne hand with voluntary return of persons, who make the free and informed decision to return to their home country, and on the other hand with the forced return of persons, who have to leave the country for different reasons. The Aliens’ Police Act regulates the latter with coercive measures carried out by the Aliens’ Police. After giving an overview o­n various definitions and concepts and statistics o­n return in Austria, the study sheds light o­n the political and legal framework, the return measures in Austria and bi- and multilateral cooperation in the field of return.