Reintegration
assistance refers to the support provided to migrants returned to their
countries of origin. Frontex supports Member States and Schengen Associated
Countries in providing reintegration assistance both during the first days
following the arrival in the country of origin (post-arrival assistance), as
well as longer-term assistance up to 12 months (post-return assistance) to help
returnees reintegrate into their societies. Examples of assistance provided include
support with accommodation, medical assistance, job counselling, education, family
reunification and other.
These reintegration
assistance activities and/or services are currently being implemented by Member
States through various national and EU programmes with a broad range of
partners around the globe. However, the landscape of policies, practises and
capacities in Member States for implementing reintegration assistance is very
diverse. Some Member States have built up large capacities in this area, while
others have not been able to do so due to capacity or budgetary contstraints. The
implementation of the Frontex Reintegration Programme as a European-wide
provision of reintegration assistance with equal standards and equal treatment
for returnees eligible for support will address this structural inequality and
ensure that all Member States can make use of an EU-standardised reintegration
programme, and that returnees will benefit from the same support across whole
Europe.
Frontex provides reintegration
assistance as part of its Reintegration Programme through the so-called Joint
Reintegration Services from 1 April 2022. The agency has contracted five
reliable reintegration partners around the globe delivering these services to non-EU
nationals returning to their home countries. The quality of the services will
be overseen by a dedicated quality monitoring framework that is currently under
development in cooperation with the European Commission.
Frontex aims to support up
to 7000 persons annually, both individuals and families, depending on the needs
of the Member States and the available budget.
Frontex finances the reintegration services directly
from its own budget.The budget earmarked for 2022 is EUR 14,300,000.
The Member States are the sole actor that can request reintegration
assistance from Frontex and determine who is eligible for support. In
accordance with the 2019/1896 Regulation, the following third-country nationals
are found eligible:
- Persons who have not yet received a final negative
decision regarding their request to stay, their legal residence and/or
international protection in a Member State, and who choose to make use of
voluntary return;
-
Persons who are present in a Member State and either
do not or no longer fulfil the conditions for entry and/or stay, including
those whose return has been postponed.
The Member States are
responsible for determining whether a returnee meets the criteria above and is
eligible for support, as well as for requesting reintegration assistance from
Frontex.
The reintegration
services supported by Frontex are divided into two packages:
Post-arrival package
These services or activities include the immediate assistance
upon arrival, covering the first three days, and are organised and coordinated
between the responsible Member State and the reintegration partner. This
short-term assistance includes:
- Cash assistance
- Airport pick-up
- Onward transportation
- Housing upon arrival
- Medical assistance upon arrival
- Family
reunification for unaccompanied minors
This package is optional and must be
requested by the Member States at least five days in advance.
Post-return package
These services or activities include the long-term
assistance activities which can be implemented up to 12 months beyond immediate
arrival:
- Cash assistance
- Long-term housing and related costs
- Regular medical assistance
- Education (schooling and vocational
training)
- Job counselling and assistance in
accessing the labour market
- Assistance in setting up a small
business
- Family Reunification (monitoring)
- Legal counselling and administrative
support
- Psychosocial
support
The post-return package is always a result of
cooperation between the returnee, return counsellor in the Member State, and
reintegration partner. Together, they develop a tailor-made plan based on the returnee’s
personal situation and needs. This cooperation is an important aspect of the return
process, as it allows the returnee to make an informed decision about their
future and the local reintegration partner to offer the high-quality assistance
as requested. Doing so, the post-return packages address root causes of illegal
migration and support the stabilization of returnees in their country of
origin.
Disclaimer:
Not every Member State or Schengen Associated Country offers
the above-mentioned specific packages to all potential returnees. This is
pending on every national framework in combination with the eligibility
criteria per Member State.
To ensure proper
administrative case handling, Frontex will use the Reintegration Assistance
Tool (RIAT) developed by the European Commission. This online tool simplifies
and standardises the exchange of information about the reintegration process to
the best benefit of returnees, reintegration partners and return counsellors.
RIAT also translates case management into three key moments: return
application, reintegration plan and financial report. This allows to address
the needs of the returnee in a holistic way. The system is GDPR-compliant and
enables consolidation of insightful statistics about returnees’ journey.
With the launch
of the Joint Reintegration Services, starting on 1 April 2022, the geographical
scope is limited to 26 countries. Frontex aims to cover 50 countries around the
world with reintegration assistance from 1 July 2022. The selection of
destinations is based on consulations with the Member States and it could be
adapted as needs change.
The following partners have
signed a framework partnership agreement with Frontex for the duration of four
years:
Frontex is
responsible for checking the eligibility of returnees and the activities
proposed in the reintegration plan, as well as making financial checks after
the reintegration assistance has been delivered. Additionally, the agency’s
Post-Return Unit is responsible for the daily management of reintegration
partners, as well as operational communication.
In addition to determining
the eligibility of returnees, Member States are responsible for requesting the
reintegration assistance from Frontex and ensuring that returnees are well
informed and counselled prior to the return. Member States also verify and
approve the reintegration plan, as well as the completion of the reintegration
assistance delivery.
The reintegration partners implement
the delivery of reintegration assistance for the agreed period of time in the
country of origin. The responsibilities of the reintegration partners also
include coordinating and monitoring the work of the local reintegration
partners in the relevant third countries.
Frontex offers first line support for users of Joint Reintegration
Services. The service desk and helpline serve as a point of contact for Member
States and Reintegration Partners.
Service Desk
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ECRET.JRS@frontex.europa.eu
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09:00 – 17:00 CET
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Helpline
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+48 22 236 6875
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13:00 – 16:00 CET
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