AVR

Assisted Voluntary Return for vulnerable cases to BiH and to Serbia and Montenegro including Kosovo

During the 1992 to 1995 conflict in the former Yugoslavia, Switzerland received an influx of asylum seekers from the region. More than ten years after the end of the conflict, the number of asylum seekers from the Balkans in Switzerland is still high. Seven percent of Switzerland’s asylum seekers are from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and 20% are from Serbia and Montenegro; together, regional migrants make up over a quarter of all asylum seekers to Switzerland. The Government of Switzerland continues to support voluntary return to the Balkans through various projects, and accordingly initiated the Assisted Voluntary Return program for vulnerable cases from BiH.

Due to the conflict in BiH and the resulting weak political and economic environment, vulnerable persons, such as the elderly and sick, chose to migrate to Switzerland. However, they were often unable to build a life in Switzerland because of personal and medical problems, dependence on social welfare and cultural differences. Vulnerable migrants often have difficulties returning to BiH because their specialized medical or other needs can not be met through standardized return packages and they are unable to return without assistance. The Assisted Voluntary Return programme takes into account the individual needs of vulnerable cases in order to facilitate their return to BiH.

IOM’s ASSISTED VOLUNTARY RETURN PROGRAMME for VULNERABLE CASES

IOM Sarajevo, in co-operation with the Swiss Federal Office for Refugees (FOR), Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) and IOM Bern, implements the AVR programme to assist vulnerable migrants voluntarily return and reintegrate into BiH.

IOM provides assistance to vulnerable cases returning from Switzerland to BiH. Vulnerable cases are migrants who have been living, as asylum seekers, in Switzerland since before July 1, 2003, and include medical patients, traumatized persons, single persons and single parents without a family network, as well as elderly individuals.

IOM tailors AVR assistance according to the needs of each individual case. IOM assesses each case and identifies the services required for a successful return and reintegration. Such support may include:

Financial return assistance provided for the returnees’ immediate needs;

“Cash-for-care” funding to returnees with serious medical conditions, to pay for home care;

Housing support for renting temporary accommodations, partial household reconstruction, purchasing furniture and privatizing previously state-owned apartments. IOM also assists returnees recover their pre-war property;

Livelihood support such as employment assistance, funding for small business start-up and education for persons with disabilities;

Medical support to find hospitals or clinics to care for returnees’ medical conditions, and funding for treatment not covered by the BiH health insurance programme.

IOM organizes transportation for vulnerable cases to return to BiH. Swiss FOR arranges the return flight home and provides each returnee with a grant for their travel from Switzerland. IOM then receives the returnee in BiH and transports them to their homes. IOM provides medical escorts throughout the journey as needed.

IOM closely monitors returnees’ reintegration. IOM conducts follow-up visits and prepares regular progress reports for each case. IOM works with the relevant authorities until the returnees are successfully reintegrated into their communities.

DONORS:

Swiss Government

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