Return and Reintegration

Safe and dignified return and sustainable reintegration are an indispensable part of a comprehensive approach to migration management. Return and reintegration programmes aim to support migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in host or transit countries and wish to return to their countries of origin. IOM commits to a rights-based, sustainable development-oriented and coherent approach to well-managed return, readmission and sustainable reintegration in compliance with international law.

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

• Ensure through counselling and information provision that migrants are able to make an informed decision and take ownership of their choice(s);

• Provide advice and support, foster cooperation, and engage in capacity development with governmental actors and civil society on rights-based return policies and programming.

• 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). To date, more than 725,000 migrants returned were assisted.

Since 2023, IOM has been implementing the project “Intensification of Outreach Activities on Return and Reintegration in Germany”. The objective of the project is to enable migrants to make an informed decision about return by increasing their knowledge of the return and reintegration process and the support available in this area. The project is co-funded by the European Union’s Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF) and the German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF). Find out more about IOM’s global return and reintegration activities here.

Visit the information portal ReturningfromGermany.de to learn more about German return and reintegration programmes and counselling possibilities, including Virtual Counselling and ZIRF-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.

The programmes at IOM Germany are funded by the European Union, German Ministry of Interior, the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF) and the Federal States.

​