(27 April 2021) – Today, the Commission adopted the first EU Strategy on voluntary return and reintegration as an integral part of a common EU system for returns.
The strategy sets out measures to strengthen the legal and operational framework for voluntary returns from Europe and from transit countries, improve the quality of return and reintegration programmes, establish better links with development initiatives and strengthen cooperation with partner countries.
Gaps between asylum and return procedures, challenges in preventing absconding, insufficient resources, lack of data, overall fragmentation and limited administrative capacity to follow-up on return decisions all contribute to the low uptake in assisted voluntary returns programmes.
The EU will support the ownership of reintegration processes in partner countries with capacity building, providing staff with the necessary skills, or supporting governance structures to cater to the specific economic, social and psychosocial needs of returnees.
The EU will also strengthen links between reintegration programmes and other relevant development initiatives in partner countries.