The RI.VOL.ARE IN RE.TE project aims to guarantee and promote access to Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVR & R) for third-country nationals living in Italy, both regular and irregular, including vulnerable individuals, who decide to return home voluntarily.

This is stated on the IOM Italy website, which provides a detailed overview of the initiative.

What the programme provides

The programme guarantees:

• counselling services for every migrant applying for return, including through the presence of 13 IOM outreach operators deployed across the national territory;
• organization of the return journey for 2,500 migrants;
• assistance with the issuance of travel documents and airport assistance at departure and, where necessary, during transit and upon arrival;
• the provision of an initial resettlement allowance of 615 euros, to be paid in cash to each migrant either before departure or immediately after arrival in the country of origin;
• the provision of an in-kind contribution for the implementation of reintegration projects amounting to 2,000 euros for individuals and heads of household and 1,000 euros for dependent family members, adults and minors, included in the AVR & R application;
• counselling and assistance in the development and implementation of Individual Reintegration Plans (IRPs), in close cooperation with IOM offices in the applicants' countries of origin;
• monitoring carried out by IOM staff within six months of beneficiaries' return;
• organization of information and training sessions on Assisted Voluntary Return addressed to key stakeholders in Italy, with the aim of strengthening referral networks and building capacity at local level;
• awareness-raising activities on the AVR & R option targeting third-country nationals;
• production and distribution of information materials, including leaflets and a video; and activation of a dedicated toll-free number, 800 004 006.

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Beneficiaries and duration of the project

IOM says that project beneficiaries include vulnerable and non-vulnerable third-country nationals who, aligned with European and national legislation, are eligible to access the AVR & R measure, and public and private operators working in the sector related to information and training activities.

The website also offers the possibility to download the AVR&R operational manual.

The project, active since 2 January 2024, has a duration of three years and is managed by the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean.

For further information, contact the toll-free number 800 004 006 or the IOM Coordination Office for the Mediterranean at its headquarters in Via Nomentana 201, extension 2, Rome; tel. +39 06 44 16 09 335/238; email: ritorno@iom.int.

The website also features an explanatory video available in several languages.