The UN Migration Agency (IOM) in Egypt launched its revamped Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) Map on 4 July 2017 to provide policymakers, development partners, civil society, private sector, academia and the donor community with updated information on stranded Egyptian migrants who opted to return home voluntarily and non-Egyptian migrants wishing to voluntarily return to their home countries.
The AVRR Map allows users to gain a better understanding of this specific element of migration trends by visualizing AVRR data by nationality and socioeconomic background, and assistance provided by IOM. It also allows users to filter data and analyse trends. In addition, the map includes blog features to showcase migrant success stories and raise awareness of their diverse journeys and reintegration once back home.
The AVRR Map enables the identification of good practices in the sustainable return of migrants, evidence-based programming, as well as improve understanding of AVRR in support of migrants who express the desire to return to their countries of origin in a dignified manner.
AVRR is a central part of a comprehensive approach to migration management, as it presents a more humane and dignified approach to return while enhancing reintegration perspectives at home. The IOM AVRR programme is often the only viable solution for migrants who want to return home, but lack the means to do so. This includes migrants in irregular situations, asylum seekers who have withdrawn their application or whose claim has been rejected, stranded migrants, victims of trafficking and other vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied migrant children or migrants with health-related needs.
IOM AVRR programmes have assisted over 40,000 migrants globally in the past five years. Since 2012, IOM Egypt assisted over 1,600 migrants returning home, including over 1,000 individuals who were provided with sustainable livelihood opportunities in their countries of origin. Around 25 per cent of those were Egyptians returning to Egypt, while the remaining 75 per cent returned to 20 different countries.
