IOM Activities in Austria

Focus: Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration

In mid-November 2010, a delegation from IOM Vienna and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior undertook a one-week journey to Nigeria to monitor the implementation of the reintegration assistance offered through IOM Vienna’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) project to Nigeria. Beyond monitoring the reintegration measures, the delegation aimed to acquire insight into existing infrastructures and the overall socio-economic situation in which project implementation takes place. The delegation travelled to Lagos and Benin City - two major return destinations. In addition to visiting project beneficiaries, the journey provided an opportunity to strengthen the personal contacts between IOM colleagues in Nigeria and Austria and to discuss possibilities to further improve project implementation procedures. IOM Lagos’ steadfast and positive relationships with almost all returnees made it easy for the delegation and returnees to discuss the returnees’ experiences in Austria, their reasons for returning, the challenges they faced upon arrival in Nigeria and their assessment of the return and reintegration assistance offered by IOM. The interviews with returnees showed that returning to Nigeria after having lived abroad for several years can be very challenging, even though returnees

receive reintegration assistance. Nevertheless, the interviews also demonstrated that the project offers new life perspectives and can give project participants the chance to gain new hope for a successful future in their home country.

The delegation visited ten returnees during the monitoring visit. Two of them had just recently returned and were in the process of exploring business possibilities with IOM Lagos reintegration assistants. The other eight returnees had already implemented their business plans and gained experience concerning the opportunities and challenges of Nigeria’s eco-nomic situation. According to these returnees, although the assistance offered by the IOM project could not solve all the challenges they had to face, it gave them the chance to start a new life in their home country.

The project is funded by the European Return Fund and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

International Organization for Migration

Special Liaison Mission in Vienna

Inside this issue: Monitoring the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration project in Nigeria International Workshop for Return Counsellors The Role of the IOM Vienna Operations Department in AVRR What‘s behind the things we buy? Armenian Study Visit Linking Partners in Resettlement News from the Austrian National Contact Point to the European Migration Network

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Newsletter Issue No. 2 December 2010

Monitoring the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration project in Nigeria

Victor, a Nigerian returnee from Austria, shared his story with the monitoring team: After receiving his second negative asylum decision, Victor began gathering information about his possibilities to remain in or leave Austria by talking with a return counsellor. Because there was no possibility for him to legally stay in Austria, he was referred to IOM Vienna and opted for an assisted voluntary return through in the reintegration project. During his time in Austria, Victor gained experience as a truck driver. He returned with the wish to find his wife and children and to use the reintegration assistance to buy his own truck. After arriving in Lagos, IOM organized Victor’s onward transportation to Benin City, his final destination. The level of the grant assistance, however, was not sufficient for him to buy a truck. Although Victor was initially disappointed, the IOM reintegration assistant was able to gradually establish a relationship of mutual trust and design an alternative business plan with him. Victor now lives in Benin City with his family and owns a successful bus transportation business. His earnings are ample enough to provide for his family and save money to realize his dream of one day owning a truck.

Victor and his wife speaking with Andreas Halbach, Chief of Mission of IOM Vienna in front of Victor‘s bus. Photo used with prior permission. ©IOM 2010 all rights reserved

Ensuring efficient information flow between return counsellors in the country of destination and IOM offices implementing Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) projects is crucial for the success of any AVRR project. In order to enhance the exchange of information among project partners, IOM Vienna, in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, organized an international workshop on 25-26 November 2010 in Vienna for Austrian return counsellors involved in IOM Vienna return and reintegration projects. IOM Vienna partners responsible for the implementation of reintegration measures in the countries of origin were also invited. The aim of the workshop was to bring together the “sending end” and the “receiving end” of the reintegration chain in order to share good practices for reintegration, address possible misperceptions and false expectations of returnees and find optimal ways of facilitating return and reintegration procedures. It was the first event organized by IOM Vienna for return counsellors in Austria where a forum for direct information exchange with IOM reintegration staff from the relevant countries of origin was established. The workshop consisted of three country-specific blocks, each covering a reintegration project of IOM Vienna (Nigeria, Kosovo and Chechnya). During each block, presentations were made both by IOM Vienna and the respective reintegration office in the country of origin (Kosovo, Nigeria, Russian Federation and Chechnya). These presentations were followed by a question and answer session, during which participants could address their questions to either IOM Vienna staff or to the IOM/NGO staff implementing reintegration measures in the country of origin Overall, the international workshop was assessed by participants as being very successful. The workshop brought the main stakeholders in return and reintegration together and served as an excellent platform for dialogue. Many of the participants expressed their wish for IOM to continue such initiatives in the future.

This event took place within the framework of IOM Vienna’s AVRR projects and was funded by the European Return Fund and the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

International Workshop for Return Counsellors

Uche Njoku, Head of Office of IOM Lagos, presented IOM reintegration measures and procedures in Nigeria and the overall situation for returnees in the country. Similar presentations were also held by IOM colleagues in Kosovo and Russia as well as IOM‘s implementing partner in the Chechen Republic. ©IOM 2010 all rights reserved

The Role of the IOM Vienna Operations Department in AVRR

IOM Vienna currently offers reintegration opportunities to specific groups of migrants who wish to return to Kosovo, Nigeria and the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation on a voluntary basis. These AVRR (Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration) projects are offered in addition to assisted returns facilitated by IOM Vienna, in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, through the General Humanitarian Return Programme. Applications for these AVRR projects are accepted by all Austrian return counselling centres providing interested individuals with comprehensive and focused counselling regarding the available reintegration measures and the general return process. If the individual is eligible to participate in an IOM reintegration project, IOM Vienna’s Operations Department is contacted by the respective Austrian return counselling centre in order to make all the necessary travel arrangements, book a ticket and inform relevant IOM counterparts in the country of destination. The IOM Vienna Operations Department always aims to meet the needs of returnees on an individual basis. Depending on the availability of commercial flights and whether valid travel documentation exists, wishes regarding a specific date of travel can be met. On the date of departure, returnees are met at Vienna International Airport and assisted with check-in and boarding procedures. Every returnee assisted by IOM travels in the same way as any other passenger. The reasons for the returnee’s stay in Austria and the return remain confidential and are not shared. In 2010, IOM Vienna’s Operations Department supported more than 3,900 migrants from over 70 nations to voluntarily return to their home country, including migrants who returned home voluntarily without reintegration assistance.

This programme is funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

How can we fight modern day slavery? Through increasing con-sumer awareness of the effects of their purchases! IOM Vienna launched the Buy Responsibly Campaign on the occasion of the EU Anti-Trafficking Day from 14-19 October 2010 to draw consumers’ attention to the serious implications of their everyday purchases. The goal of the campaign is to urge consumers to play a greater role in ending human traf-ficking through choosing to buy products and services that were not produced or provided by victims of human traffick-ing. Before coming to Vienna, the campaign was implemented by IOM offices in Brussels and Geneva, where it attracted much attention. On the basis of their positive experience, IOM Vienna launched the campaign on the occasion of the Austrian event commemorating the 4th EU Anti-Trafficking Day, which were organized by the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs on 15 October. This event coincided with the Conference of the Parties on the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, which encompasses the UN Trafficking Protocol, which was held at the UN Head-quarters in Vienna that same week. During the campaign, a giant upside down shopping cart with people trapped underneath as if in a cage was placed in the heart of Vienna. The NGOs Clean Clothes Austria and Südwind supported the Buy Responsibly Campaign in Vienna. Both

NGOs promote fair trade and advocate for consumers to buy responsibly. A press conference was organized next to the giant shopping cart to kick-start the campaign. IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson, Aus-trian National Coordinator to Combat Human Trafficking Ambassador Elisa-beth Tichy-Fisslberger, and Colonel Gerald Tatzgern, Head of the Centre on Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling of the Austrian Criminal Intelli-gence Service, spoke at the press conference and underlined the important role consumers can play in ending human trafficking. The Buy Responsibly poster (see image) included the recently launched hu-man trafficking hotline of the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service (0043 01 248 36 85383). During the time that the poster was on display in Vi-enna, 5-25 October 2010, 17 people called the hotline. After the campaign in Vienna, the Buy Responsibly shopping cart stopped in The Hague on 14 December for the 20th Anniversary of IOM in The Neth-erlands. On the occasion of International Migrants Day on 18 December, the campaign was launched in Warsaw. The next stop will be London in spring 2011. Buy responsibly! and join us on Facebook for updates on the campaign launch events and latest ethical consumerism and counter trafficking news: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buy-Responsibly/158983080805986

What’s Behind the Things We Buy? Launch of the Buy Responsibly Campaign in Vienna

Armenian Study Visit, 16-19 November 2010

Within the project “Capacity building for the border control detachment of the border guards troops under the Armenian National Security Service”, IOM organized a study visit to Austria and Romania for Armenian border guard authorities. The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the efforts of the Government of Armenia to improve the border management system of Armenia and reduce irregular migration flows through improved capacities of the border control detachment and its staff. In Austria, the Armenian delegation of border guard authorities visited the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior, the Austrian Criminal Intelligence Service and Vienna International Airport. This project was funded by the US Department of State Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs

Study tour participants. ©IOM 2010

IOM Vienna colleagues and IOM Deputy Director General Laura Thompson (centre). ©IOM 2010

Austria has assisted to resettle refugees since the end of the Second World War. These operations have focused on both transit assistance and direct resettlement in Austrian territory. In November 2010, the Austrian Red Cross and Caritas Austria, with financial support from UNHCR, organized a conference titled “Resettlement – Austria is getting ready”. As a result of this conference, in which IOM Vienna’s Chief of Mission Andreas Halbach presented IOM’s long-standing, worldwide experience with resettlement, the four organizations agreed to partner in an EU resettlement project submitted to the European Refugee Fund in December 2010. If selected for funding, the project will be launched with a “European Resettlement Skills Share Day”, where participat-ing states, municipalities and civil society organizations will convene to exchange promising practices, challenges and experiences regarding resettlement. National multi-stakeholder meetings and three local practitioner trainings for both emerging and experienced resettlement countries will facilitate detailed planning for resettlement in new resettlement countries and allow for networking and exchange of good practices. A homepage will be created with information and advocacy tools outlining the resettlement criteria, the resettlement process and basic information on reception and integration. The project will furthermore enhance awareness of media professionals and promote posi-tive reporting about resettlement in the media, including internet based media. Sustainability will be ensured by cre-ating and fostering multi-disciplinary partnerships between local communities and stakeholders through this project. Parallel to the EU project activities, IOM Vienna, UNHCR, the Austrian Red Cross and Caritas Austria will develop a comprehensive resettlement concept for Austria in 2011 in close cooperation with the Austrian Association of Cities and Municipalities and the Federal Ministry of the Interior

The European Migration Network (EMN) supports policymaking in the European Union by providing up-to-date, objective and comparable information on migration and asylum. EMN consists of National Contact Points (NCPs) established in all EU Member States (except Denmark) as well as Norway, and is headed by the European Commission. The Austrian EMN National Contact Point is located at IOM Vienna. In November 2010, the Austrian EMN NCP published the study “Programmes and Strate-gies in Austria Fostering Assisted Return to and Re-Integration in Third Countries”. The study aims to increase the knowledge about programmes and strategies of assisted re-turn and re-integration of migrants in third countries. To this end, it provides an over-view of the current legislative framework and the various institutions involved in the assisted return and re-integration process, and reviews the diverse monitoring possibili-ties and the sustainability of these measures. The Austrian report contributes to a syn-thesis report of all NCP reports, which compares return and re-integration practices in 26 EU Member States. For more information please visit www.emn.at.

The EMN NCP Austria is financed by the European Commission and by the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior.

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Headquarters 17, Route des Morillons Grand-Saconnex 1202 Geneva Switzerland www.iom.int Tel: +41.22.717 9111 Fax: +41.22.798 6150 E-mail: info@iom.int

International Organization for Migration (IOM) Special Liaison Mission to the OSCE, UN and International Organizations in Vienna Nibelungengasse 13/4 Vienna, 1010 Austria www.iomvienna.at Tel: +43.1.585 33 22 Fax: +43.1.585 33 22 30 Email: iom-vienna@iom.int

Last updated on 31 December 2010

Linking Partners in Resettlement

News from the Austrian National Contact Point to the European Migration Network

In October, the Austrian EMN NCP organized a confer-ence on “Labour Migration and its Challenges in the EU – Perspectives in the EU Member States”, which was attended by approximately 100 participants. The conference took place within the EMN study “Satisfying labour demand through migration”, which analyzes the role of migrants in responding to labour demand in EU Member States. ©IOM 2010 all rights reserved