In November 2024, IOM Austria held the fifth annual ‘Days of Return and Reintegration’, marking five years since the event's inception in 2020. The conference was held as a two-day event in Vienna that hosted around 100 attendees per day, including return counselors from across Austria, stakeholders such as representatives from the Austrian Federal Office for Migration and Asylum (BFA), IOM, UNHCR, Caritas and Lefö-IBF and key decision-makers. Organized in collaboration with the Austrian Federal Ministry of the Interior (MoI) and the Federal Agency for Reception and Support Services (BBU), the conference centered on the latest developments in the return and reintegration field.

The first day of the conference was dedicated to return-related topics. The BBU provided insights into the agency’s journey since its establishment in 2020, emphasizing its evolving role and key responsibilities. This was followed by a presentation by the MoI, which analyzed various return policy approaches implemented across Europe. A subsequent panel discussion, involving representatives from the MoI, the BFA, the BBU and IOM, explored the concept of voluntariness in the context of return, particularly for migrants under a legal obligation to leave the host country. The presentation on diverse return policies across Europe sparked a dynamic exchange of views among stakeholders. Perspectives varied particularly regarding the "degressive approach" to return, which links the level of support provided to the procedural stage of the return process. This discussion underscored the complexity of balancing policy effectiveness with upholding voluntariness and dignity at all stages of the return process. 

The afternoon featured an interactive session led by BBU department heads, where participants navigated different stages of the return process through a fictional case study involving a family facing vulnerabilities and lacking formal documentation. This exercise enabled participants to experience firsthand the complexities of the return process.

On the conference’s second day, the focus shifted to reintegration. The MoI underscored the importance of cooperation with third countries, presenting readmission agreements and highlighting relevant networks. Two representatives from third countries – the consuls of Nigeria and India in Vienna – shared their perspectives, enriching a panel discussion with insights from their respective contexts. One key takeaway was that fostering close collaboration among all stakeholders, including state actors from countries of origin, is crucial to ensure effective and sustainable reintegration processes.

The second day concluded with a workshop in which participants immersed themselves in a fictional scenario of returnees awaiting reintegration into Austrian society. This allowed participants to change perspectives and explore the multifaced reintegration needs of returning migrants on individual, community, and structural levels.

This year’s conference underscored once more the vital role of return counselors who work closely with migrants on a daily basis and highlighted the importance of coordinated efforts of all stakeholders to ensure high-quality return and reintegration settings.

Further information on IOM Austria’s AVRR activities can be found here.