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Evaluation of the BMZ Measures Aimed at Supporting Voluntary Return and Reintegration

Since 2017, the BMZ has significantly expanded its support measures for voluntary return and reintegration of migrants living in Germany without a right to stay or prospects of permanent residence. The goal of the BMZ is to create future prospects in countries of origin, promote sustainable reintegration, and contribute to regular migration. This evaluation will examine the effectiveness of these measures with a particular focus on activities in the countries of origin.

Each year, migrants living in Germany without a right to stay or prospects of permanent residence return to their countries of origin. The process of return and reintegration in the country of origin poses great challenges for migrants. As part of German development cooperation, the BMZ launched the “Returning to New Opportunities” programme in 2017.

The following goals were set for the initiative:

  1. Using employment to create future prospects to stay and perspectives for the future
  2. Ensuring that returns to countries of origin lead to sustainable reintegration
  3. Reducing irregular migration – contributing to safe, orderly, and regular migration

In light of these goals, the evaluation addresses questions of relevance, effectiveness, impact, and sustainability of the BMZ measures. The evaluation focuses on measures implemented in the countries of origin and their consequences to the lives of returnees and the local population.

 

Background

By signing the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (Global Compact on Migration, GCM[JL1] ), the German Federal Government has committed to “cooperate in facilitating safe and dignified return and readmission, as well as sustainable reintegration” (GCM 2018, Objective 21). Reintegration is found to be sustainable when returnees have reached levels of economic self-sufficiency, social stability within their communities, and psychosocial well-being (IOM 2019).

Since 2017, the BMZ has significantly expanded its support for voluntary return and reintegration for migrants living in Germany but without a right to stay or prospects of permanent residence. The goal is to connect return and development policies in a co-departmental manner. To this end, the aim was to promote development policy options for safe, orderly, and regular migration while reducing the negative impacts of migration in line with the Global Compact on Migration. The advice centres for jobs, migration, and reintegration in the countries of origin play a major role in this endeavour. 

Goals

The goal of the evaluation is to provide an ex-post assessment of the BMZ measures for supporting voluntary return and reintegration. Furthermore, the evaluation aims to contribute to the continued development of existing measures in the field of return and reintegration. Insights gained thusly are to be used, among other things, to implement the new initiative “Migration als Chance”.

Methods

This evaluation uses a theory-based approach and a mixed methods design. The qualitative method of process tracing is to be implemented by using several case studies. Additionally, further qualitative data collection tools (expert interviews, group methods, document analysis) as well as quantitative methods (online surveys, secondary data analysis) are planned.

Contact

Portrait von Dr. Johannes Schmitt
© DEval

Dr Johannes Schmitt

Senior Evaluator - Team Leader

Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-946

E-mail: johannes.schmitt@DEval.org

[Translate to Englisch:] Portrait Martin Bruder
© DEval

Dr Martin Bruder

Head of Department: Civil Society, Human Rights

Phone: +49 (0)228 336907-970

E-mail: martin.bruder@DEval.org

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