AVRR for Foreigners Living in Romania

Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) is an indispensable part of a comprehensive approach to migration management aiming at orderly and humane return and reintegration of migrants who are unable or unwilling to remain in the host countries and thus wish to voluntarily return to their countries of origin. 

The successful implementation of AVRR programmes requires cooperation and participation of a broad range of actors, including migrants, civil society and the governments in both host countries and countries of origin. The partnerships created by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and a diverse range of national and international stakeholders are essential to the effective implementation of AVRRs – from the pre-return to the reintegration stages. 

IOM Romania implements the programme for Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration, funded under the National Programme – Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund, through the Romanian General Inspectorate for Immigration (IGI) with the funding of the European Commission. 

Between 2015 and 2023, as part of the Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration programme, IOM Romania has provided over 4,500 persons with counselling, supported 422 people with voluntary return to their country of origin, and granted more than 150 people with return allowances.  

The program is addressed to:

• Migrants whose requests for granting a form of protection in Romania have been definitely and irrevocably rejected; 

• Asylum seekers who have waived the procedure for granting a form of protection or aliens who have waived a form of protection previously obtained; 

• Persons who must leave the national territory following an administrative decision of the authorities or in respect of which there are conditions for such a decision to be taken; 

The project is also aimed at informing the wider public, such as local and central public institutions, NGOs, mass media, and the general public in Romania. 

Benefits of the Programme

• Voluntary repatriation means returning home with dignity. The migrant is not escorted and no sanctions are applied in writing on his travel documents.
• Assistance for issuing a travel document.
• Assistance at the airport of departure and arrival in the country of origin.
• Support for reintegration into the country of origin: migrants who want to start a small business at home, attend classes, or upon return are in need of: food, clothes, dishes, etc, can be helped by IOM with a certain amount of money. The reintegration allowance is not granted in cash.
• For a person to be eligible for reintegration assistance, there is a need for an IOM mission / office in their country of destination.

Assistance Available

• Advising migrants on voluntary return.
• Performing assisted voluntary return.
• Assistance with the reintegration of returnees into their countries of origin.
• Organising guidance / monitoring missions in the destination countries where migrants who received reintegration assistance were returned.
• Information activities on the assisted voluntary return programme in Romania.