The network on the Assisted Voluntary Return
The network on the Assisted Voluntary Return
The RE.V.ITA “Voluntary Return Network Italy” project, promoted by the Ministry of the Interior – Department for Civil Liberties and Migration – co-funded by the Asylum Migration and Integration Fund 2014-2020 and implemented by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) aimed at disseminating the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration measure–AVR&R in Italy.
The project, which ended in December 2020, intended to connect the entities implementing the AVRs&R programs with all the stakeholders, active at local level in the field of migration and able to signal those migrants, who can potentially benefit from the AVR&R projects.
For this purpose, the project actions provided for the deployment, in the italian Regions, of specialized staff – Focal Points tasked with creating local capacity on the AVR&R measure, through the organization of information and training sessions addressed to all the relevant stakeholders and staff members, who play an important role in outreaching the potential final beneficiaries.
Several activities were carried out with the purpose of supporting this action.
The activities of the Network
Implementation of information - and training sessions addressed to the competent staff.
The Focal Points carried out information and training sessions on the whole national territory, addressed to the local stakeholders as well as to the staff of the bodies and organisations active in this field.
The information sessions aimed at giving an overview of the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration measure, of the kind of assistance provided for in the framework of every AVR&R project, active in Italy and at informing about the categories of migrants who can benefit from it.
During such sessions info material, produced in the framework of the AVR&R active projects was also distributed, while the toll-free number 800 2000 71 was made aware.
The training sessions aimed at strenghtening the capacities and expertise of the stakeholders and of the public and private staff operating in the migration field on the AVR&R subject. In particular, the training sessions focused on the following issues: national and european legislation concerning AVR&R, categories of migrants who can have access to the measure, the procedure of reporting migrants eventually interested in this measure and the taking in charge process of the potential final beneficiaries, the drawing up of the Individual Reintegration Plan before departure with the relevant feasibility analyses and the assistance for its implementation in the country of origin after return for the social and economic integration.
Measure dissemination activity among the migrants who can eventually get access to the measure.
In the framework of this activity the Focal Points implemented sessions in order to disseminate the AVR&R measure among migrants, among their diasporas and associations both throughout the Italian territory as well as in the reception facilities.
Management of a toll free number devoted to the AVR&R measure.
The toll free number 800 2000 71 provided with information about the Assisted Voluntary Returns in the main languages of the foreign communities staying on the national territory (italian, english, french, spanish, russian, ukrain, arab, bangli and hindi). Through this toll free number, it was possible to request to start the assisted voluntary return assistance procedure. The staff of the toll free number referred the request to one of the entities implementing the AVR&R active projects.
Development and distribution of the multilingual info brochure.
The info material available in italian, english, french, arab and hind aimed at promoting the AVR&R measure as well as the Toll Free Number. Focal Points distributed the info material throughout the territories, where they operated, also through the competent local stakeholders.
Development of an operative-training Handbook on the AVR&R measure
The Handbook aimed at strengthening the staff knowledge on the AVR&R option as well as their capacity to guiding the potential final beneficiaries towards this measure. The Handbook also represented a support learning tool for Focal Points during the info sessions.
Report on the analysis of the Individual Reintegration Plans accomplished by the migrants returned to their own countries of origin in the framework of the projects funded through AMIF 2014-2020 and implemented in the period June 2016-June 2018.
The report on the analysis of the Reintegration Plans accomplished by the returnees aimed at highlighting the trends of the reintegration paths as well as the elements concerning the social-demographic profile of returnees. The analysis on the use of the reintegration grant in the countries of origin also represented a support tool for operators, so that they are able to provide migrants with an accurate and aware guidance.
