IOM GERMANY: VIRTUAL COUNSELLING PROJECT
In 2019, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Germany launched the Virtual Counselling project, generously funded by the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). This initiative introduces an online counselling tool tailored to assist migrants contemplating voluntary return. Within Germany, migrants can connect with IOM staff across 22 countries of origin through calls and messages, engaging in conversations in their native language to discuss the specifics of their individual return and reintegration plans.
Recognizing that a substantial portion of the migrant community faces challenges in accessing traditional counselling services in Germany due to language, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility barriers, the project is dedicated to providing an easily accessible, culturally sensitive, and unbiased counselling service to migrant communities.
During virtual counselling sessions, IOM staff offer information on the conditions in countries of origin, details about return and reintegration programmes in Germany, and specifics about reintegration options in each country. Topics covered in counselling include - but are not limited to - financial assistance, support for business start-ups, housing, medical needs, and relevant referral information tailored to the migrants' individual needs.
Virtual counselling sessions, conducted in the migrant's native language across 22 countries of origin, are anonymous, individualized, unbiased, and provided free of charge during specified counselling hours or by appointment.
Migrants interested in returning to their countries of origin can directly contact IOM staff in 22 countries or areas/places of return, including: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Ethiopia, Georgia, Ghana, Guinea, the Gambia, Iraq, the Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, Nigeria, North Macedonia, Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Serbia, Türkiye, Viet Nam and Kosovo*. They can receive comprehensive information about return assistance programs provided by the German government and country-specific reintegration opportunities.
Furthermore, Virtual counselling can be seamlessly integrated into face-to-face counselling sessions at counselling centers, serving as a valuable tool to overcome language barriers and build trust in return and reintegration programs.
For additional project details, and contact info please visit the virtual counselling page on the Returning from Germany website. On each country page flyers and country-specific information can be downloaded from the Downloads section. Informative videos by IOM counsellors in different countries of origin are available here.
* References to Kosovo shall be understood to be in the context of United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).