Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration

Since 2006, IOM Moldova has been offering reintegration assistance to all Moldovan migrants who wish to return to their homeland. 

This assistance aims to facilitate sustainable return to the Republic of Moldova. It is designed to assist people in finding income generating activities so they become financially independent.

An IOM counsellor together with the beneficiary develops an individual Return and Reintegration Plan and based on it signs a contract.

A set of services are offered within the programme in order to facilitate migrant’s return and reintegration: assistance in transportation of returnees to and from airport to his/her home community; business start-up grants, including business trainings; access to university/college education or vocational education training courses; procurement of professional equipment; medical assistance; legal and psychological assistance; consultancy during implementation of the plan and other available reintegration services.

Since then, a number of 570 Moldovan returnees from the Kingdom of Belgium, the Republic of Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Austria, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom, the Italian Republic, and the State of Istrael were assisted within this program.

Below is a list of steps to be followed in order to obtain assistance for return and reintegration:

• Contact IOM bureau in the country of destination;
• Develop a reintegration plan together with the IOM Counsellor;
• Sign a reintegration contract between the migrant and IOM, through which, on one hand, IOM is committed to help the returnee to achieve his/her reintegration plan, and on the other hand, the migrant has the responsibility to contribute to finalization of the plan;
• IOM, mission in a destination country provides support to migrants in their process of returning home;
• The returned migrants contacts IOM Moldova;
• Implementation of the reintegration plan.

In February 2017, IOM Italy with their bureau in Rome launched a Return and Reintegration programme, targeted at Moldovan migrants that currently reside in the Italian Republic and wish to return to the Republic of Moldova.

The programme will finish on 31 December 2017. The following migrants are eligible:

• Migrants emigrated to Italian Republic and currently reside there;
• Migrants that wish to return to the Republic of Moldova;
• Migrants that need assistance in their return and reintegration process.

The following migrants will be considered especially:

• Migrants that are having difficulties;
• Irregular migrants*;
• Vulnerable migrants;
• Migrants that have health issues;
• Migrants that applied for asylum, are awaiting for a reply or whose request was already declined.

Note*: Irregular migrants are the migrants or persons who do not hold a necessary authorization or documents required to entry, stay or work or persons who entered a country of destination without proper authorization or persons who violated one or more regulations regarding legal entry, stay, work or leave in a country of destination.

The programme offers the following:

• Consultancy of migrants who wish to return to the RM, offered by IOM Italy before migrants leave Italy;
• Development of an individual Return and Reintegration Plan for each migrant who will be selected to participate in the programme;
• Informational, logistic and financial support from IOM Moldova in order to implement Return and Reintegration Plan of every selected migrant;
• Meeting and transportation of migrants to and from the airport in the Italian Republic and in the Republic of Moldova;
• Assistance in preparing the necessary legal papers to return;
• Financial assistance in covering the costs for basic needs before transferring from Italy to the RM;
• Financial assistance for migrants who have heath issues (covering costs for treatment, hospitalization and medical tests);
• Providing a non-refundable grant to open their own business, including training in business development;
• Facilitating access to training at universities, colleges, vocational schools or courses;
• Financing procurement of professional equipment;
• Other available reintegration services;
• Consulting of migrants during their return and reintegration in Moldova.

For more information or in order to apply, please contact the International Organization for Migration, Mission in Italy, Ms. Gina Villone at gvillone@iom.int and/or IOM Italy webpage.

The Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration Programme is implemented in coordination with IOM Moldova, with its bureau in Chisinau. For more information, please contact Ms. Ana Ciurac at aciurac@iom.int or at +373 22 23 29 40 (ext. 103).