Assisted Return and Reintegration

Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) is an indispensable part of a comprehensive approach to migration management aiming at orderly and humane return and reintegration of migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in host or transit countries and wish to return to their countries of origin.

IOM Germany implements return and reintegration projects in close coordination with the German government, assisting migrants throughout the entire process from first information to reintegration based on the following objectives:

• Ensure that return and readmission occur in a safe and dignified manner and that migrants are able to make an informed decision and can take ownership of their choice(s);
• Support returnees, communities and authorities through holistic and development-oriented approaches to sustainable reintegration at the individual, community and structural level;
• Act as an honest broker to provide advice and support, foster cooperation, as well as capacity development to governments and other stakeholders, on developing rights-based return, readmission and reintegration policies and processes that comply with international law and frameworks and national law;
• Ensure accountability and evidence-based programming throughout the return, readmission and reintegration spectrum.

Between 1979 and 2023, IOM Germany facilitated assisted voluntary returns under the programme REAG/GARP, which was complemented in 2017 by the reintegration programme StarthilfePlus (SHP). 

Visit the information portal ReturningfromGermany.de to learn more about German return and reintegration programmes and counselling possibilities, including Virtual Counselling. For an overview of the IOM's return and reintegration counselling services in Germany as well as the contact details of the IOM counselling centres, please follow this link.

Find out more about IOM’s global return and reintegration activities here.

The German programmes are funded by the German Ministry of Interior, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the 16 federal states.