Almaty – On October 22, 2021 the IOM Sub-regional Office for Central Asia, together with the IOM Regional Office for South-Eastern Europe, Eastern Europe and Central Asia (Vienna, Austria) and the IOM Mission in Tajikistan, held a regional information briefing "Presentation of the IOM’s Policy on the Full Spectrum of Return, Readmission and Reintegration"

The online briefing was attended by representatives of government agencies implementing migration policy from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, as well as representatives of the UN Migration Network of these countries.

Return migration occurs for a number of reasons. Many migrants return spontaneously and without support from the Government or other actors due to family or other personal reasons, completing studies or an employment contract or achieving another migration-related goal. Others return because conditions in their country of origin have improved, or, conversely, conditions in their host country have deteriorated economically, socially, politically or environmentally.

Apart from the many reasons and situations in which migrants return, the impact of return on individual migrants, their families, as well as the communities and societies to which they return also varies significantly. The individual characteristics and vulnerability of migrants, including those related to age, gender, health, disability, work experience and qualifications, family and professional ties or other factors, mean that returning from the same country affects people differently and can have serious consequences on reintegration and human development outcomes. Return, especially when it occurs on a large scale and in a fragile society, can create serious problems not only for returning migrants, but also potentially for the stability and development prospects of the returning community, including in the health sector. These potential negative impacts can be compounded if incomes are not planned or controlled properly, which puts a strain on social security systems and infrastructure.

The International Organization for Migration, as the world's leading international organization for migration and the coordinator and secretariat of the United Nations Migration Network, has a unique position and a mandate to respond to the growing calls of Governments and other actors for comprehensive support across the entire spectrum of return in order to improve outcomes for migrants, as well as to manage human mobility, migration and its consequences.

As such, the Policy presented today represents IOM's comprehensive approach to the entire range of issues of return, readmission, and reintegration of international migrants. It is based on a human rights-based approach and focuses on the well-being of individual returnees throughout the process of return, readmission and reintegration, putting people and the protection of their rights at the center of all efforts, while recognizing that States have the sovereign prerogative to determine national migration policy and manage migration within their jurisdiction in accordance with obligations under international law.

While this Policy is mainly concerned with how IOM operates in this area, it is also intended to provide policy guidance to other actors, including Governments, other United Nations entities, and non-governmental organizations. Therefore, it is also intended to help IOM support Governments in developing and implementing laws and policies governing return migration in accordance with international standards and best practices, and serves as a comprehensive framework that IOM uses to guide its support and interaction with partners and migrants in activities related to the full range of return migration, including through direct assistance, capacity development and advisory support.

As such, IOM intends to implement a holistic approach to promoting safe and dignified return and reintegration, in particular by ensuring that the needs of returnees are met and their skills are used for broader development, in accordance with both the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the goals of the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Legal Migration.

Following the briefing, representatives of Central Asian Governments and members of the UN Migration Network were informed about the new IOM approach to the full cycle of return, readmission, and reintegration.