Berlin/ Mainz, 8 April - Return counselling in Rhineland-Palatinate is supported by EU funding amounting to 6.7 million euros. The "Netzwerk der Rückkehr- und Reintegrationsberatung Rheinland-Pfalz" project (Network of Return and Reintegration Counselling) is initially set to run for three years and is being implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The independent return counselling supplements existing counselling services and focuses on providing well-founded information to migrants interested in returning. The funding provided by the EU's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) is supplemented by a contribution from the Rhineland-Palatinate Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Culture and Integration in the form of co-financing of 10 percent of the total volume.   

"With the EU funding granted, we now have planning security for the important return counselling service. People who are required to leave the country and whose asylum application has been rejected have the opportunity to receive counselling on voluntary return. In the interests of all concerned, voluntary return is the better option than forced return. A voluntary return involves difficult personal questions and requires individual, independent and open-ended counselling. Once the decision in favour of voluntary departure has been made, we want to prepare people well for their return. This includes jointly creating a perspective in the country of origin so that sustainable reintegration in the country of origin can succeed", says Janosch Littig, State Secretary in the Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Culture and Integration.  

The innovative flagship project is being implemented by IOM as part of the UN system in cooperation with the "Kompetenzzentrum Rückkehr" counselling centre of the Diakonisches Werk der Ev. Kirchenkreise Trier, Simmern-Trarbach and An Nahe und Glan, which has been active in Rhineland-Palatinate for over 16 years, and thus brings together two important actors in the field of return counselling. Supported by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the "Netzwerk der Rückkehr und Reintegrationsberatung" combines official and independent return counselling structures and thus creates a nationwide expansion of the counselling services. 

Operational implementation of the project began in April 2023 and since then, more than 700 migrants in Rhineland-Palatinate have made use of IOM counselling. 172 people have been supported in their return and reintegration by IOM. Over 60 percent of the departures from Rhineland-Palatinate supported by the nationwide return programme REAG/GARP have already been organized by IOM return counselling.  

"Return counselling is an important part of the return process and empowers third-country nationals to make an informed decision about their return," says Jean-Philippe Chauzy, Chief of the IOM Mission in Germany. "It is vital that migrants know their individual options and are aware of their rights before making the decision to return. The human rights-based approach is part of the concept of orderly and humane migration," continues Chauzy. 

IOM is the leading intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. With 175 member states and offices in over 100 countries, IOM is committed to humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. IOM's return counselling in Germany has existed since 2005 and is based on decades of experience in the field of assisted return and reintegration. 

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For further information please contact:

Srdjan Tošić, IOM Germany, Tel: +49 160 969 102 18, E-mail: media-de@iom.int

Nils Dettki, Ministry for Family Affairs, Women, Culture and Integration Rhineland-Palatinate, Tel: +49 (0) 6131 16-5632,
E-mail: pressestelle@mffki.rlp.de