FAIR Return

*Application deadline tomorrow 📅 18 December 2024.* Attention Researchers on Irregular Migration: Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) FAIR Return GAPs Return Migration Save the date: 19-21 March 2025 for a 💰 free course on statistical indicators and estimation methods for irregular migration. Link below.

💡To what extent and how can litigation help improve the working and living conditions of migrant workers, including those in irregular situations? Join us on the 🗓️ 29th of January - 🔗 below. Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) Erasmus University Rotterdam #HorizonEurope

Thank you to Joris Schapendonk Associate Professor Radboud University for his presentation on Return migration infrastructure: Unpacking return migration governance from the ground. His seminar for colleagues of GAPs Return Migration and our consortium FAiR Return, as well as our PhD researchers at Erasmus University Rotterdam gave us new insights into migrant’s arrival and/or mobility towards aspired-to destinations in Europe, and in the Netherlands more specifically. Arjen Leerkes Laura Cleton Ana Maria Torres Chedraui Bozhidar Ivanov, PhD

Today I want to turn your attention to a paper you might miss but it’s worth reading. I’m talking about the paper written by my dear colleague Antonella Patteri, PhD. I had the privilege of working with her on this and discussing some main findings. The paper is titled “Best Practices of Implementing a Human Rights Approach in Assisted Voluntary Return (and Reintegration). Introducing Human Rights Monitoring” and its main focus is on the latter part of the title – calling for the establishment of human rights monitoring in so-called voluntary returns. What are the main takeaways from this paper? 📢 There is no such thing as a human rights monitoring system in so-called voluntary returns. On the other hand, several good practices already exist and they could work as fertile ground to build on and create the system around them. 📢 Such a system is desperately needed to be implemented and should be coordinated and harmonised at the EU level. This is especially crucial in the wake of the new EU Pact on Migration and Asylum which calls for expanding EU return policies but which should not jeopardise basic human rights. 📢 Monitoring mechanisms in so-called voluntary returns are not easy to create, however. It should encompass various procedures and practices in both EU countries (return procedures, real alternatives to it, detention system, independent counselling etc.) and countries of origin. The latter is one of the essential elements of the system as it should focus on the situation in this country vis-à-vis the individual situation of the person to be returned both before the return starts and, what is even more pivotal, after the return. 📢 The paper also discusses the question of voluntariness or rather lack thereof in such procedures. We strongly suggest changing the definition and differentiating the real voluntary return between a person who actually has some other choices and others. Only the former situation could be called voluntary. For the latter, we suggest a new name “Incentivised (enforced) returns”. Those are challenges to be covered in the new, recast version of the return directive. I strongly believe that those findings complement well fantastic guidelines on independent mechanisms to monitor fundamental rights compliance at EU external borders recently published by European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights Tamás Molnár The paper is based on extensive research – 36 in-depth expert interviews (from Austria, Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, Spain, Sweden, and the Netherlands) paired with a roundtable workshop where we validated our findings. The research is part of the “Finding Agreement in Return (FAiR)” project FAIR Return and it wouldn't be possible without the involvement of our amazing partners Samuel Hall, Erasmus University Rotterdam, International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD), Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) You can find the link to the paper in the comment  

*"Back" to Uganda?* Laura Cleton, Mark Klaassen and Arjen Leerkes wrote a critical opinion piece on an idea of a Ugandan return hub built on quicksand, in which Europe in particular is sinking further and further...https://lnkd.in/eUhEtU2a Dutch experts believe that the plan for a return hub is undesirable. It will undermine rather than strengthen the effectiveness of the return policy for rejected asylum seekers. Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), LDE Centre Governance of Migration and Diversity, Centraal Orgaan opvang asielzoekers (COA) Dienst Terugkeer en Vertrek (DTenV) IOM The Netherlands

🌍 Understanding Migration Narratives: A New Approach to Inclusive Policy-Making Migration stories shape how we see the world—and how policies are made. But who tells these stories matters. In our latest paper as part of the Horizon Europe FAIR Return project, we explore two types of migration narratives: those told by migrants and those told about them by media, policymakers, and others. When these perspectives align or diverge, they influence critical areas like return, readmission, and reintegration policies. 🔎 Our analysis revealed that narratives by migrants often focus on personal challenges and motivations, highlighting resilience and the struggle for dignity. In contrast, narratives about migrants, often framed by external parties, emphasise security, economic impacts, or cultural integration. 🤝 Bridging these gaps is essential for more inclusive policies that prioritise humane return processes and successful reintegration efforts. Policies shaped by both perspectives can create systems that better support migrants' rights and development, while addressing broader societal concerns. This paper highlights how including migrant voices in policy conversations leads to more humane and inclusive decisions. 📜 Want to learn more about how these narratives shape policy? Read on to find out how we can build better migration frameworks by focusing on those who experience it firsthand. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eFBmTP8U https://lnkd.in/eGmtXwGd

🔍 Enhancing Human Rights-Centred Border Monitoring 🛂 Human rights violations—including arbitrary detention and violent practices—continue to be reported at Europe’s borders. Effective monitoring is essential to ensure transparency, accountability, and the protection of human dignity in migration governance. Link to the full article: https://lnkd.in/evgBFJJE At FAiR, we're proud to have contributed to a pivotal discussion on independent border monitoring at the recent OSCE-ODIHR and Migration Consortium meeting in Warsaw. As policymakers work to implement the EU’s Regulation 2024/1356, creating robust, independent border monitoring systems is more critical than ever. As Poland develops its National Implementation Plan, we encourage policymakers, NGOs, and international organizations to prioritize a rights-based approach to border management that aligns with both national and international legal frameworks. Together, we can build a border monitoring system that safeguards fundamental rights and promotes orderly migration. #MigrationPolicy #HumanRights #BorderMonitoring #MigrationManagement Antonella Patteri, PhD Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB) International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) Erasmus University Rotterdam Arjen Leerkes

🌍 Migration is dominating politics in Europe today. But people migrate for all different reasons and some also long to return home. Paying attention the stories of reintegration can help us understand migration from a vantage point of human connection and opportunity. ✈️ Read our latest stories collected by Samuel Hall when they visited reintegrated families in Georgia for the FAIR Return project, which aims to strengthen the governance of return migration in the EU. https://lnkd.in/esVfG9Nd https://lnkd.in/eagjmu7r Arjen Leerkes Erasmus University Rotterdam Erasmus University Rotterdam Platform for Undocumented Migrants (PICUM) International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD) Migration Policy Group

How can we reinforce human rights in assisted voluntary return and reintegration #AVRR? Assisted voluntary return and reintegration (AVRR) are often presented as ‘the human face of return’. But how humane is it? Since #AVRR involves many organisations, it is very complex and challenging to monitor human rights in the process. Very often, returnees are exposed to human rights violations. What can you do about it? FAIR Return raised this dilemma during its latest dialogue in Brussels with sector experts. Read our latest blog https://lnkd.in/ehFzcgyN on the lessons learned and see what you can do as an #AVRR expert in reinforcing human rights monitoring. And, connect with us to move this research forward. Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences (ESSB), GAPs Return Migration, MIrreM - Measuring Irregular Migration, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Laura Cleton, Leonard D., Lorenz Willy Stein

#useyourvote - what are the latest insights on EU migration policy? #EUelections2024 #migration #fairreturn