Transnational Exchange V
Assisted voluntary return and reintegration counselling (AVRR)
AVRR counselling provides assistance to (former) asylum seekers and migrants in Europe who decide to return voluntarily to their countries of origin. The assistance includes pre-departure counselling, reintegration counselling as well as financial and organizational support for the actual return.
AVRR counselling is being offered by multiple actors including state agencies, IOM and NGOs in several European countries.
Content
Caritas Augsburg and its cooperation partners have been offering AVRR counselling since 2004. The idea to connect AVRR counsellors on a European level arose in 2011 in order to share expert knowledge and best practices and, thus creating synergies.
The exchange during the project activities enables counsellors to offer high quality counselling which aims to lay the foundation for a sustainable return with dignity.
Against the backdrop of a more globalized and complex world the following obstacles need to be tackled while preparing the voluntary return: return with several vulnerabilities, return without an existing social network, return during environmental, political or economic crises as well as return to conflict areas.
Structure
The exchange amongst the European AVRR counsellors is planned to take place in different settings:
- Three workshops aiming at discussing return under specific conditions including the perspective of reintegration partners from the countries of return
- Two field trips in Europe giving insight into exemplary counselling procedures and institutions related to return
- One final conference providing a platform for exchange amongst AVRR counsellors, coordinators and policy makers
Cooperation partners
The project Transnational Exchange V is based on a strategic cooperation between Caritas Augsburg and the Diakonie Augsburg.
Donors
The project Transnational Exchange V is funded by:
- The European Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)
- The Bavarian State Office for Asylum and Repatriation (LfAR)
- Caritas Association for the Diocese Augsburg
Cooperation partners
Diakonisches Werk Augsburg
