European Conference Maastricht Vocational training for asylum seekers: effects & methods Panel 4 Reintegration to Country of Origin

Conceptual Framework Situation of Asylum Seekers  Reintegration integral part of migration processes  Migration restricted and channelled by numerous national regulations  Asylum application one of the few possibilities to side-pass migration regulations  Large number of underprivileged persons

Conceptual Framework Decision to Return  Many refugees & migrants want to return to their country of origin  European Governments want to send back those who are not granted asylum  Decisions of the Ministries of Internal Affairs at times lack sufficient understanding of the problems  No European minimum standards for remigration

Scope of Practice in the 5 DPs  All Development Partnerships (DPs) have been confronted with the topic of return and had to find solutions:  Specific activities in work programme (BTW, JobShop, SEPA)  In addition to the common programme institutional members of the DP are pursuing reintegration activities outside EQUAL (ENEAS, SEPA)  Specific activities concerning reintegration as part of trans- national cooperation (HIT, SEPA)

DP JobShop, Austria Mr. P. Logar  Information on training opportunities with special emphasis on returning to the home country  Little interest in the return program  Support for return into the country of origin outside of JobShop, e.g. Kosovo

DP Back to Work, NL Mr. D. Engelhard  Cooperation with IOM  IOM dealt with the teachers of the target group  "Reintegration" was a taboo theme

DP ENEAS, Spain Mr. J. Mahía Cordero  Reintegration activities by a member of the Development Partnership, but beside the EQUAL-programme  Enhancing and facilitating the voluntary return of refugees, asylum seekers  In all cases voluntary return: Different reasons  Activities:  Information and advising  Help to deal with documents  Financing  Resettlement package  Follow-up

DP HIT, Netherlands Mrs. M. Vis  HIT assumption: employability of Asylum Seekers on a global labour market through vocational training  Methodological approach: maximise the effects of vocational training during the application period  An asylum policy recognisable for asylum seeker and organisations  There is need for a central coordination platform  There is need for a database of best practices open to individuals and organisations

DP SEPA, Germany Ms. K. Pohl  Reintegration counselling within the programme  Additional activities out-side the DP:  Regional level: DRK  National level: AGEF, ISOPLAN  In home-countries: AGEF  Extensive experiences concerning reintegration  Example:  Kosovo  Kosovo excursion with HIT (CD-ROM at SEPA stand) 

General Statements  Root cause for migration pressure towards Western Europe enormous gap to other regions of the world  No European minimum standards in regard to voluntary or forced migration (Return in dignity)  Broad range of social & economic reintegration methods  Need for accurate & up-dated information  Not every type of training is useful for economic reintegration  Difficulties to satisfy dual perspective (home & host country)

Political Conclusions  Need for more research & development measures to cope with dual perspective in learning situations  Co-operation between host and home country institutions required for better cost-benefit relation  Need for more social and employment promotion programmes to promote voluntary and to soften forced return  Uniform reintegration policy requires European minimum standards on return of "asylum seekers"  Sustainable reintegration measures require development efforts for home countries

European Conference Maastricht Vocational training for asylum seekers: effects & methods Panel 4 Reintegration to Country of Origin